The Second War
by pookieisaturtle
Summary: Rinoa has become the focus of the second sorceress war, and most of the world is laid in ruins. She must bitterly fight against those who have turned against her, and what's left of the world must deal with the impending Lunar Cry.
1. In Which There is a Recurring Dream

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me. Thank you, have a nice day!

A/N: Well, as you may have noticed, this is a further edited version of The Second War. It's kind of just been sitting around, stewing, so I figured I'd (finally) decided to fix it up and continue it. The first four chapters had previously been posted, these are the fixed up versions.

Chapter 1: In which there is a recurring dream….

> > >

_"Zell! Zell! Where's Squall?"_

_Selphie was running down the corridor of Balamb garden, past the parking lot, trying desperately to get to the front hall. Rinoa's scream was urgent, and though Selphie chose not to believe it, angry and hateful._

_"Zell…! Tell me where the hell Squall is. TELL ME!" _

_"I don't know…I haven't seen him since lunch time, I – " _

_She was finding it difficult to breathe. Selphie had to get there, and she had to be there quickly. She didn't know why, she just felt…_

_Then came a dark flash. Selphie's vision went black, and she was blind for an instant. Selphie was stopped running for a moment, panting, trying to orient herself. And there it was, she heard it, the sickening thump of flesh she heard almost every night._

_She turned around the corner and saw Rinoa standing there, her chest heaving, her eyes a glassy blank. Her pale hands were crackling with the same darkness that took over the corridor moments ago, and at her feet lay Zell and a pool of his blood. There was a look of sick triumph in her face._

_Every night, Selphie did the same thing. Her heart was thudding painfully, she wanted to sob, to scream, to hate Rinoa. She ran to Zell and checked for his pulse. And every night, it didn't change. She clutched desperately at him, lost in misery and guilt._

_Shakily, she stood up and looked into Rinoa's face. "I don't know why you did this. I don't want to know why you did this. I don't give half a fuck. But I swear, Rinoa, friend or not, I will have revenge."_

_Rinoa looked back a Selphie, strangely. She simply stared with those opaque black eyes, a strange dancing on her red lips. _

_And Selphie was afraid._

_ > > >_

In bed, Selphie's eyes snapped open, and she found herself twisted in all her sheets. She checked the time, and finding that it was almost eight, she untangled herself and got dressed. She ignored the various picture frames she still kept, displaying photos of her SeeD inauguration party, the festival, different fun times she had in the old days. One frame displayed herself and Rinoa, arms thrown over each other, grinning happily. Angrily, she slammed that one down.

There was a council meeting today, she told herself with vicious satisfaction while she brushed her teeth. _The witch will get what's coming to her._

As she walked down the same hallway in her nightmare to the elevators, Selphie tripped on a stray shoelace and fell over. For a moment, she just stared at the marble floor before shaking her head and crouching to re-tie her shoelace. She looked up and stared and the fish fountainhead, somewhat puzzled. She shrugged and continued.

Selphie made her way to her old classroom on the second floor corridor which had been turned into the war room. The rows of desks had been replaced with an enormous rectangular oak table. Ellone, sitting at the head of the table, was waiting somewhat impatiently. An older man sat to her right, murmuring something quietly to her. Squall sat completely still to her left, his face expressionless.

"Good morning!" Selphie called out, mustering a smile.

"You're late." Ellone snapped, causing the older man to wince.

"Now, Ellone, don't be rude." Laguna said sternly.

Selphie rolled her eyes with her back turned to Ellone as she sat down. Ever since the second sorceress war started, Ellone had turned into a certifiable bitch, and even Laguna had trouble hiding his annoyance. The only problem was, Ellone was the only person strong enough to go head to head with the sorceress, so she had to be put up with by everyone. By everyone, except for Squall. Selphie didn't have time to ponder this again because Ellone began speaking and the tone of her voice made Selphie jump in her seat.

"Where are Kiros and Ward?" she demanded, drumming her fingers on the table in a harsh rhythm.

"You sent them to review the troops at seven this morning." Laguna said flatly. "And you told them to do a good job or you'd dock their salaries. Really, Ellone, you should be more reasonable. It takes more than hour to make sure the soldiers are up to speed."

"Fine." Ellone said, shooting Laguna a glare. "FINE. Someone better inform them of the plans later. Xu, will you please get started?"

Xu, who was standing by the foot of the table, pulled down a projection screen. She flicked off the lights and began speaking, pointing to a map of Deling. "As you all know, the sorceress is being funded by her father, General Caraway, and who both currently resides in the un-ruined portion Deling. The area around his mansion is heavily guarded all the time. However, sources have informed me that there will be a major guard change this Saturday."

The red dots on the screen that represented the guards began shifting.

"At exactly 2 pm, there will be a brief ten minute interval when Caraway's mansion will be guarded by only ten men. This will be our opportunity to act, as Ellone wishes."

Squall spoke for the first time Selphie entered the room, strikingly enough. He barely spoke these days. "And what is our objective?"

"We all know that if the sorceress doesn't have adequate funds, she can no longer pay for the Galbadian army. Only her most loyal troops will stick by her once she can no longer pay the salaries, but her forces will be severely weakened. And that is when we strike." Xu replied. "That, of course, will require some time."

Squall raised his eyebrows. "Are we forgetting Rinoa will probably inherit everything from Caraway anyway? Which would mean she would have total control over the money?"

Selphie gave Squall a faint smile. For one thing, Ellone looked positively furious because Squall actually named the sorceress, for another, he was poking holes in her plan.

"We all know there's no lost love between Caraway and his damned daughter." Ellone said. "So we may as well take he chance. We have nothing to lose. At the very least, the sorceress's camp will have less morale."

"Not to mention a loss of lives on our part." A SeeD further down the table muttered.

Ellone pretended not to hear it. "I want Selphie and Laguna in charge of this mission. Take Squads B and C with you. You have five days to prepare for this mission. I will have the Ragnarok refueled for you in that time, Selphie."

"The Ragnarok?" Selphie repeated disbelievingly. "Ellone, people can see that thing miles away, and I'm sure the sorceress would be able to recognize it if even if she were half blind."

"It's the most efficient way for you to get there." Ellone said indifferently. She handed a file of commands to Selphie and Laguna. "Your details are in there."

Selphie stared at the brown folder angrily. _Sheer stupidity is going to get me killed._

_ > > >_

Every morning was the same for the sorceress. She would be dreaming of her former lover, the man who swore to be her knight, when she would be jolted from sleep. She would then leave her bed and sit in front of her dresser.

As she stared into the mirror, she fought a conflicting battle within herself. Hunched over the dresser in pain, she would stifle the urge to destroy and kill everything in sight. Eventually but painfully, she would win.

When her breathing calmed from the choked moans, the sorceress would sit up and look once more into the window. There she would smooth her brow and smile tentatively at herself. On bad mornings, she would seize up and begin fighting herself again.

This morning, however, was better than most. When she was sure everything was fine, she would pick up a gilded hair brush and run it through her long, dark hair. Then she would go to the bathroom, return, and get dressed.

Today she selected a swirling gown of purplish gray. Her throat constricted when she saw her old costume of black and sky blue, and slammed her wardrobe shut before unwanted memories overpowered her.

When she was finished, she returned to her dresser and sat down. At half-past eight, there was a soft knock on her door.

"Come in." Rinoa said, wondering who it would be this morning.

A tall man in an outlandish cowboy hat entered, holding a heavy mug and grinning.

As usual, Rinoa was soothed by his presence. Anyone she knew from before the war had that effect on her. "Good morning, Irvine." She said, smiling at him.

"You okay?" He asked, handing her the cup of tea. He always asked that the mornings he came by. Rinoa did not mind, because he was just showing concern, unlike other traitorous bastards who would not hesitate to use her weakened state against her.

"Yes, I'm good." She said, blowing the steam away. "Are we doing anything this morning?"

"There's just some stuff for you to look over in the board room. Just some reports by field commanders, nothing too heavy."

Rinoa drank some of her tea and left it on her dresser. "Let's go, then." She said as she stood up. Irvine held the door open for her. He shivered slightly as her bare arm brushed him as she passed.

Rinoa turned back to look at Irvine. She wondered if he flinched out of fear at touching her. Suddenly, she felt let down by him. Betrayed, even. He had always been unflinching, never afraid, and had given her unfailing support and companionship. Irvine, at least, was supposed believed her.

She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. "Irvine, I can make it to the meeting room on my own. Do you think you could get Zone and Watts to visit Caraway to see when the next check with come through?"

Irvine looked startled, then a little hurt by her suggestion. Nevertheless, he nodded and left her alone in the hallway. For a moment, Rinoa watched his retreating back, her head pounding. She leaned against the wall and shut her eyes tightly.

In her mind, a black mist swirled, threatening to take over. Suddenly she wanted to vomit.

"Hey. Rinoa!" A strong grip took hold of her elbow. It was Irvine again. "Rinoa, where is Zone and Watts? They're normally all over the place."

_Oh Hyne. Not now. Please, not now. Where is Squall?_

Rinoa began clenching her fists in pain, throwing her full weight on Irvine, who taken by surprise, staggered into the wall. She was trembling violently, her eyes squeezed shut, and her fists were so tight that her nails left red marks on her palms.

Irvine grabbed Rinoa and held her tightly by the shoulders. He had worked out for himself what was happening. Her head lolled forward as if she lost control of her body. "Rinoa, don't let it take over. Listen to me. Listen to my voice." Irvine was shaken. He had seen Rinoa only lose control once, before the split had occurred, and Squall quickly brought Rinoa back. It was effortless for him.

_But_, Irvine reasoned as he kept talking to Rinoa, _Squall was her knight. And they were so close, so in love, that I wondered what it'd be like to have that bond. What if Squall knew Rinoa's condition right now? _

"Squall is a fucking bastard." Rinoa's hand came up over Irvine's and brushed him off easily.

Irvine took an involuntary step backwards. Rinoa's chocolate eyes had turned the deepest of blacks, holding an unholy light that he was afraid of. "Rinoa?" he ventured cautiously. "You don't want to stay like this. You don't need the power, you told me you didn't want the power."

"He left me." Rinoa said coldly, taking a step to Irvine and grabbing his shoulders in the same way he held her moments before. He couldn't meet her eyes. "He didn't believe me." With her unnatural strength, Rinoa slammed Irvine against the opposite wall. A thin trail of blood escaped the side of his head. "Fucking knight indeed. I'll kill everyone who's betrayed me."

Irvine was perilously close to losing consciousness. Once he did, there was nothing stopping Rinoa from doing whatever the sorceress in her wanted to do. Blow up Squall, blow up the world…he was mortally afraid of what Rinoa could do.

His wavering mind snapped back to alert when he saw tears trail down Rinoa's cheek. "He didn't believe me, but he swore." She swiped angrily at the tears. Her voice rose dangerously. "He swore to me, that night on the balcony! He's left me no choice, I have to kill him."

Rinoa was pinning Irvine to the wall with one hand. With her right hand, she began using magic. A black ball of energy formed and crackled, and the sheer power of it made Irvine retch.

Suddenly, a hand darted forward and caught Rinoa's right hand as Irvine slipped into darkness.

> > >

To be continued…


	2. In Which She Remembers a Summer's Aftern...

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me, and I'm writing this for my own entertainment. Meaning I don't make money off of it. Which is unfortunate, because university tuition is pricey.

A/N: So here is the second revamped chapter. I thought I should say, I didn't change the plot of any of it, I just made some grammatical and stylistic changes.

Chapter 2: In Which She Remembers A Summer's Afternoon…

> > >

"I believe you. I believe that someone betrayed you, and turned the rest against you."

The magic Rinoa was conjuring suddenly flickered. The colour of her eyes changed in time with the motion of the magic, and all colour had begun to drain from her face.

"Rinoa." His voice was deep and forceful. "I believe you." He took Rinoa's other wrist gently and held her hands.

She gave a soft whimper before the magic died out completely. She looked into the eyes of her saviour, recalling that only Squall had the power to stifle her so quickly. But no, it wasn't Squall. It couldn't be, because he was halfway across the continent, his family about him, plotting against her.

His green eyes looked at her with concern. Rinoa stared back, exhausted but grateful, wondering why Seifer and Squall resembled each other so much in spirit. "Hey princess," he said softly, a wry smile spreading across his face. "You had me worried."

Suddenly Rinoa was flying, back eight years, far before the world fell apart for her and she was still young and carefree.

> > >

_"Hey princess." Seifer called lazily from the sand. "You're late."_

_Rinoa flushed. It was mid-day, extremely hot, and the beach had no shade save for the umbrella Seifer brought. He had, for once, removed his coat as well as his shirt, leaving the metal of his chain against his bare skin. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she turned redder. He had caught her looking._

_"Come on, Rinoa, you're going to get burnt if you keep standing in the sun. You're really red, you know." He said, his emerald eyes teasing her._

_For some reason, Rinoa just wanted to stand there and admire him. Her sandals remained rooted to the sand. She was late because she couldn't decide on an outfit to wear to the beach, and ended up wearing her black one piece with a gauzy sarong. Now she wished she chose something more daring._

_Eventually, she walked over to Seifer and sat down next to him. His eyes flicked briefly towards her chest area, and she swatted him playfully._

_"What were you looking at?" she teased. Inwardly she was satisfied that her swimsuit was low cut enough to attract Seifer's gaze. This was the first time he took her out alone, without the rest of the Forest Owls, and for some reason, she wanted to impress him. He made something inside of her flutter madly. For a wild moment, she wanted to kiss him._

_Seifer was observing her with an amused expression, and lifted his hand to her back, trailing his cold and wet fingers down it. Rinoa shivered slightly, mesmerized by his gaze._

_"Cold?" he asked quietly._

_Rinoa couldn't seem to speak, so she just nodded. Inside her were a riot of emotions, all leading to one thing. She wanted Seifer, to kiss him and feel his hard chest._

_"Do you know why I took you out today?" Seifer asked suddenly, taking her hand and threading his fingers through hers._

_Rinoa found her voice and decided to play cool, no matter how crazy she felt on the inside. "Because it's a nice day for the beach?"_

_Seifer chuckled. "And the summer is nearly over."_

_She froze. She had forgotten. The whole summer seemed golden and endless to her, stretching into eternity. It was only like that because of him. He had been with her almost every day with the Forest Owls, getting closer and closer…but now it was ending, and she felt her throat constrict tightly. _

_"I have to go back to Garden soon."_

_"I'll miss you." She offered half-heartedly as her racing heart began to die down. She wondered why Seifer was telling her these things. Rinoa turned her head slightly away from him, watching the waves roll onto the sand. Suddenly, she needed to get away from him. If she was going to get hurt, she may as well start the separation. _

_So she got to her feet suddenly, removed the sarong, and walked quickly to the water, pretending she wanted a swim. She ignored Seifer calling her name. The water felt calming, it was cool and clear today. Rinoa waded out until she was waist deep, looking into the horizon._

_Rinoa nearly fell face first into the water when she felt arms encircle her waist. She tilted her head back slightly and saw that it was Seifer, looking more serious than she had ever seen him. She turned back to the horizon, trying to forget the renewing thumping in her chest. Or was that his? He was so close, she could no longer tell._

_"Why did you run?" Seifer's breath was warm in her ear, and his lips lingered there unnecessarily._

_When Rinoa made no reply, one of Seifer's hands left her waist and were placed on her chest, directly over her heart. Try as she might, Rinoa was unable to control the gasp that escaped._

_"Were you afraid?" He could feel the quick beating of her heart, and his hand was quickly warmed by her warmth. Seifer lowered his head to her neck and kissed it, causing her to gasp again._

_Rinoa turned around to face him, shaking. Her face was tinged with pink, and her fingers found their way to his chest, feeling the hardness._

_"I…" She searched for an answer, but couldn't find one. _

_It didn't matter. Seifer leaned down and kissed her, running his fingers through her wet hair. Caught by surprise, it took her a moment to understand before she wrapped her arms around his back. Shyly, she parted her lips slightly, letting his hot tongue slide into her mouth._

_They pulled apart, panting for air. Rinoa watched as a droplet of water fell from a lock of Seifer's hair. And suddenly, this precious time seemed all the more shorter, and everything became so much more urgent. This time, Rinoa began the kiss, lightly biting his lower lip before plunging in for another deep kiss. They parted, and brushed their lips together again lightly, before succumbing to their need once more. _

_When they parted the kiss this time, Seifer rested his head on Rinoa's shoulder in an embrace. He toyed with a strand of her hair and whispered to her._

_"I have to go back, princess, I have no choice. If you ever need me…I'll be here. I promise."_

_ > > >_

Everyone had left the classroom except for Ellone and Squall, who was sitting somewhat sullenly.

"Is something the matter, Squall?" she asked with concern. He couldn't tell whether or not she genuinely cared, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't trust Ellone any farther than he could throw her.

"I'm fine." He replied stolidly. In truth, his mind had been wandering during the council meeting and he had caught himself thinking of Rin – the sorceress. He was still somehow connected to her, and could sometimes feel what she was feeling. It normally didn't bother him, but he felt a strong surge of emotions from her today. This was not a conscious knowledge, but in some depth of himself, he always knew.

Every morning, he couldn't speak for some time because of her. He could feel her fighting off her demons, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding. Most often she would achieve a tenuous balance. He remembered a time before the war, when he would wake up every morning next to Rinoa and feel no struggle at all.

He realized that this connection to Rinoa was more intimate than their old love-making. It was her soul he had access to, and no doubt she could feel his soul too. He felt, with a hateful pang of regret, that she was now pining for a man other than himself.

Suddenly he remembered himself, Ellone, and where he was. He stared coldly at her. His sister had turned into something unrecognizable – out for blood and revenge. Squall was unsure who he hated more, Ellone or the sorceress. It was ironic that they were the two women he had loved most in his life.

"I'm going to see Cid and Matron." He said abruptly. Squall had made up his mind. He wanted to sever all ties with the Sorceress. He wanted no part in her emotions any longer. However, he wasn't going to tell Ellone that. No, she would just use it to her own, selfish advantage. "There are some things I must discuss with them."

"I'll come along." Ellone said, standing up.

"No." Squall said harshly. "You have other things to attend to."

Ellone turned ashen with anger. "Are you forgetting your place? I am commander of the anti-sorceress party."

"Are you forgetting yours?" Squall mimicked cruelly. "I am commander of Garden. Without me, you wouldn't have headquarters."

"Are you saying you want to separate from me?" she hissed. She looked like she wanted to hit him.

"I couldn't give half a damn." Squall said, and it was the truth. He didn't care about much these days.

"You can't take her out without me." Ellone stated triumphantly.

"Can't I?" Squall met her gaze with steel. "You better remember, dear Sis, that I prefer to work alone." He stood up, pushed past her, and left the room. Squall made his way to the parking lot, chose a car, and drove off without a backwards look.

> > >

In the dim library, Selphie was ripping through the brown folder crossly. Laguna watched on, trying to decide if he was amused or annoyed with her on Ellone's behalf.

"This is garbage!" Selphie cried finally, slamming the papers on the table so hard they scattered everywhere. "Laguna, these plans are so disorganized. She's splitting Squad B and C up and shuffling them around all over the place! They haven't been paired together yet, and none of the cadets have ever worked together. Ever. If personalities clash, if they refuse to work together, like Squall and Seifer, then we're screwed. I think we should just blow up Caraway with a rocket launcher. It's less conspicuous than the Ragnarok, at least."

Laguna glanced through the papers, but couldn't help chuckling at Selphie. "I see what you mean. But it's not as bad as you think it is. Frankly, Ellone doesn't care how it's done, as long as it's done. We don't have to mix up the squads if you think it's unnecessary."

"She was pretty set on using the Ragnarok." Selphie pointed out. "I think she'll be more than a little pissed off if we decided to take the train or borrow cars."

He shrugged. "That's just a display of power for her, to show that Esthar is supporting her."

Selphie eyed the older man. "Do they?" she asked shrewdly.

Laguna looked thoughtful for a moment. Selphie didn't really expect him to answer, but to her surprise, he began speaking after a moment of silence. "I've always preferred to keep Esthar under the radar."

"Literally."

He nodded. "It's safer for the people that way. Ellone is my daughter, adopted or no, and no matter what she does, I will always love her. As for supporting her cause…I think I feel obligated to. I was away from her too long that I feel like I have to make up now, you know?"

Laguna paused again, pushing some of his shaggy hair aside. "As for the sorceress, I don't know what to say. She was on the road to becoming my daughter-in-law, and I got really close to her. I don't know if she was capable of doing what she did. I'm not sure what to believe." He sighed. "All I know now is my family. I want to stick by them, because I haven't before."

Selphie felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Why didn't Laguna believe that the sorceress was guilty? She herself had witnessed it. Surely it was enough. As much as she always respected Laguna, Selphie suddenly felt herself turning away from him in disgust. "Back to the plan," she stated, haphazardly collecting the papers. "We will not stick to Ellone's. It's simply too risky."

She flipped over one of Ellone's sheet and quickly sketched a rough diagram of Caraway's property. "This is what we'll do…"

> > >

To be continued…


	3. In Which He Cries

The Second War

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII.

A/N: Not much of a note. You probably have figured out this is the third heavily scrutinized chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 3: In Which He Cries

> > >

_My. Head. Hurts._

Irvine sat up slowly in bed, clutching his head and squinting in the sunlight. Seifer must have ordered some guards to bring him back. Until now, he had forgotten why his was still in bed past noon. _Rinoa!_

He leapt out of bed only to find himself back on the floor with stabbing pains shooting through his head. _What the hell did she do to me?_ Irvine debated whether or not he should climb back into bed or try to visit Rinoa to see if she was better. Eventually, his anxiety for Rinoa got the best of him. He grabbed the side of his bed and hoisted himself up to a standing position, trying in vain to ignore the extreme pain and dizziness in his head.

He straightened and took one step before collapsing to the floor once more. Sighing heavily, Irvine resigned himself to further bed rest, because it seemed that it was the only he could do for now. _Now I just have to get back into bed without falling over again…_

There was a knock on the door.

"Oh shit, not now, not now!" He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. Irvine wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh at his pathetic situation. Here he was, a full grown man, lying on the floor in the middle of his room, tangled in his bed sheets. He was sure this would have been funny if he didn't want so many painkillers.

The door opened and Seifer strode in, surveying Irvine with his customary smirk.

"How are you doing?" Seifer asked, walking over to Irvine and pulling him up off the floor.

"Normally people wait for an answer before they barge into the room." Irvine pointed out, not resentfully.

"I assumed you were still out cold." There was no hint of superiority or smugness in Seifer's voice. That was one thing, at least, that had changed about him since his return. He was less cocky and arrogant, and even Rinoa had admitted it was an improvement. Irvine suspected the change was because of Rinoa, but he remained silent on the issue.

"How is she?"

Seifer smiled to himself. "Thriving."

Irvine noted the little grin with irritation. Maybe all of Seifer's arrogance hasn't been washed away. Old habits die hard, and he didn't like the looks of the twinkle in his eye.

Seifer seemed to realize Irvine wanted to hear more than what Fujin would have said, so he continued. "I managed to get her out of the spell, and it was a pretty bad one. I don't know what triggered it. You were with her, maybe you know." He looked sideways at Irvine, who shook his head. Seifer began pacing rather restlessly. "Anyway, she fainted after it was over, so I took her back to her room. Surprisingly, she got up soon after and talked to me for awhile before attending to the daily business." He pulled out a sheaf of papers from his jacket. "Here are the papers you wanted her to look over, by the way, she already signed them all."

Irvine indicated a table where Seifer could leave them. "Thanks." He badly wanted to see Rinoa to find out what they talked about. He couldn't hate Seifer, because they both worked for the well-being of Rinoa. Any conflict would only affect her, and Irvine wouldn't risk it.

There was another knock on the door, though it sounded like a heavy banging instead.

"Sir!"

"Come in!" Irvine shot a pointed look at Seifer who grinned unapologetically. Irvine grabbed is head again, wincing. It seemed that speaking too loudly hurt as well.

"Sir!" Watts barreled into the room, soon followed by Zone. "SIR! This is very urgent!" He cried, red in the face.

Irvine covered his ears. Too much sound hurt. "Could you…just speak a little softer?" he asked.

"Sorry, sir." Watts dropped to a whisper.

Zone nudged Watts and began speaking. "We just came back from our reconnaissance mission."

"Who sent you on a reconnaissance mission?" Irvine said at once, though he felt like he already knew.

"I did." Seifer stated.

Irvine was bewildered. "But you sent out Fujin and Rajin as well!"

Seifer shrugged. "It never hurts to be more informed than the enemy."

Exasperated, Irvine motioned for Watts to continue. "SeeD is planning to attack Caraway on Saturday."

Even Seifer looked taken aback at how simple the information was, and how confident Watts was about it. "How did you find out?"

Watts looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, I had a member of the Forest Owls join SeeD, actually. He was happy enough to do this for Rinoa. He was guarding the door while Ellone was having the meeting, and he listened in for me." He looked worried. "Don't tell Rinoa, I don't think she'll like the idea."

Both Seifer and Irvine were surprised that Watts could be so assiduous as to plan something like this. They were both stunned into momentary silence.

"How?" Irvine asked finally, half wondering if Rinoa would agree to send forces to her father. She was very firm on this matter, saying that he only sent her a quarter of his full force.

"There will be a guard change at 2 pm when they intend to strike. My informant wasn't too clear on how this would occur, although he was sure it would." Zone said.

"Thanks." Seifer said. "You guys can take a break now." He turned to Irvine, frowning. "We are in deep shit, aren't we?"

> > >

A light breeze flew insistently through the remains of Fisherman's Horizon. It made fishing lines rustle, blew up a few papers, and pleasantly ruffled through people's hair. It continued through the open window of the crumbling little inn, scattering a few petals from some dying daisies in an old wine bottle.

A lone woman stood on the yellowing balcony, clutching a newspaper so tightly in her slim hands that it began to crumple. On the front page was a picture of the Sorceress with another slandering headline, with a picture of the Commander opposite her.

She dropped the paper to the balcony floor and retreated into the shade of her room. She went to the sink and splashed water on her face before letting her hair down loose over her shoulders.

Unknowingly, she stared hard into the mirror like the sorceress did every morning, trying to decide what force would overcome her.

> > >

Squall drove in silence towards the old orphanage. It was not that silence was different for him, but he felt like screaming. That was different. He had never come so close to exploding before since the war had begun.

Rinoa, he knew, had an interim of peace for now. He still felt that pining, the one no longer meant for him. Squall knew he deserved it, for he deserted her, but it never ceased to infuriate him. Angrily, he stopped the car and turned off the ignition. He was tired of always thinking that he deserted her. It was her fault. She committed murder on Garden, and as commander, he was forced to take action.

But as her knight, he was supposed to protect her. Squall was put in a difficult position, and he didn't know what side to take. Rinoa had fled before explaining herself, while Ellone convinced him that his duty to Garden was first.

_Yet I swore to her…_

How did he take Ellone's version of things before listening to Rinoa? Since when was Rinoa not first in his mind? Squall couldn't find an answer or justify his actions for himself. He crossed his arms and laid his head on them, carefully to avoid the horn.

There were so many unanswered questions, yet he took the path that he did. He chose blindly, Irvine had accused him. Irvine went with Rinoa in the end. He didn't hesitate. He ran with Rinoa. That killed Selphie. Almost overnight, she lost all of her bubbly cheerfulness, converting it into hatred for Rinoa.

And Seifer. Of course Seifer went with Rinoa. He always wanted to compete with me. Even as Squall thought that, he knew it wasn't true in this case. Seifer went with Rinoa because he believed her. Seifer always chose the things he believed in.

What if it wasn't Zell who died? What if it were some other stranger, and events still unfolded the way they had? Who would Zell have supported? Squall wasn't going to kid himself. Zell always had a much warmer reception with Rinoa, that is, until he died at her hands.

Quistis. She had disappeared soon after, only sending a vague letter to both Squall and Rinoa. For all they knew, she was dead.

Not knowing why, Squall felt his face become wet. He touched his cheeks, angrily shocked to find tears. He rubbed them away roughly with his sleeve, only to find more tears. Frantically, he tried rubbing all of them away, but more just kept coming Suddenly, he didn't care.

He was alone, virtually in the middle of no where, and he, Squall, could have a breakdown if he wanted to. For so long he had put the needs of other in front of his, and he couldn't take it anymore.

Squall screwed up his face and cried hard for the first time in his life.

Irvine rehearsed what he was going to say in his head over and over again. He wasn't sure if Rinoa would agree, but he had to try. He smiled grimly, taking another step with considerably less pain and nausea. A medic had come from the infirmary and provided Irvine with a large dose of painkillers, devised by one of Dr. Odine's lab assistants. They didn't get Odine himself, although Seifer had managed to…convince…the lab assistants to work for us.

Seifer had left to attend to some details with the army, cryptically saying that Rinoa should be in a good mood.

Outside her door, Irvine straightened his jacket, tipped his hat to a rakish angle, and knocked the door. There was no reply. _Odd. _

Irvine, aware that he was being somewhat hypocritical, eased opened the door and peered in carefully. "Rinoa?"

He heard a muffled sob. _Better mood indeed. _Irvine shut the door behind him and crouched by Rinoa, whose head was in her arms on the table. He laid a hand on one of her arms. "Er, Rinoa?"

There was a huge sniff from Rinoa before she looked up. "Hey Irvine. I'm really sorry about before, you know. I didn't mean it."

"I know." He said, feeling guilty that she apologized for something she had no control over. "Don't cry." Irvine handed her his handkerchief.

Rinoa bit her lip. "I can't help it." She wiped her red-rimmed eyes before she began sobbing again.

"Oh, come on, princess, don't cry." Irvine put his arms around her and began rocking her back and forth.

"He's crying."

Irvine stopped, his heart pounding wildly. There could only be one 'he' with Rinoa, and he didn't want a relapse of the attack. "He?"

"Squall." She said in a harsh whisper. It physically hurt Irvine to see Rinoa so emotionally ravaged by Squall.

"But how…?"

Rinoa choked back a bitter laugh. "He and I are still connected. Because he was my knight. He always can feel what I'm feeling. Normally, he keeps his mind closed to me, and I can't reach him. But right now, wherever the hell he is, he's weeping like a child and can't hide it."

It took Irvine a moment to digest this information. It also answered his old question, and he understood why Squall was able to calm her so quickly. But Seifer? He shoved that out of his mind the second the question rose.

His concern turned to desperation as Rinoa began to cry again, clutching at her chest as if she could rip Squall's emotions away. She was still in his arms, but he had no idea what to do.

Then he remembered, from childhood, what Matron used to do whenever a child ran to her crying. She would rock them in her arms, the same way he was, and kiss them on the forehead. Many times she had soothed Irvine this way, and they were some of his favourite memories of the orphanage.

So he leaned down and kissed Rinoa on the forehead, and continued to rock her in his arms. She froze and looked up, with a strange look in her eyes.

Inexplicably, he felt crushed and stumbled over himself to apologize. "I'm sorry, I really am, and I shouldn't have done it. I just thought maybe…Matron used to…I'm sorry…"

Her fingers came up and placed themselves over Irvine's mouth. Suddenly, her fingers disappeared and it was her lips.

Irvine, who had dreamed of this since he had left Selphie, who's affection for Rinoa had grown into something difficult to explain, didn't pull away.

> > >

To be continued…


	4. In Which He is Lectured

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII is not mine. Nor are it's characters, places, monsters, or anything it created. Thank you.

A/N: Enjoy!

Chapter 4: In Which He is Lectured…

> > >

"So, Squad B and C, do you understand all your orders?" Selphie asked, pacing slowly in front of the SeeDs and looking at each one carefully. They weren't a bad lot, a bit young, but not bad overall. Laguna leaned against a table behind her. He had declined to speak during the mission briefing.

"Yes, ma'am!" They saluted in unison.

"Good, you have the next three days to prepare yourselves before you launch." She said. "If you're thinking of using magic or a guardian force, don't. You all know that they have been forbidden since the start of the war. Some of the older squad members may recall training with them, but that was the past."

There was a muttering, and Selphie knew that some of the SeeDs were unhappy. Using guardian forces and magic made combat much easier and quicker. She tried to ignore this. It wasn't her decision. "Dismissed."

After the SeeDs filed out, Laguna went to stand in front of Selphie. "Are you certain of your plan?"

"No," she responded frankly. "I was never one to organize things beyond festivals and parties. I'm not much of a leader in combat. I was always following orders, sending messages, or acting as a cheerleader."

"What about the guardian forces and magic?"

"Laguna, I'm a SeeD, just like them. Maybe I've earned a higher rank because I've been with Garden for so long, but I'm still just a SeeD. Anything that makes combat easier is fine with me." Selphie said. "I never approved of banning magic."

Laguna raised his eyebrows. This was virtual treason to Ellone, for she had made that decision. "Why not?" he asked mildly. He was merely curious, he had no intention of passing their conversations on to Ellone, and a silent understanding of this passed through them.

"I'm dead set against the Sorceress." Selphie began slowly. "Whatever past we had together, was simply that - the past. Guardian forces and magic…I don't quite see how they relate to her. She can use them like everyone else. It's not like she created them. I do suppose she has much more power in using them. It was a stupid movie of Ellone's to ban guardian forces and magic. They would have helped us, not hindered us. It makes no sense that's all." She looked up at Laguna, embarrassed. "I make no sense, either."

He shook his head. "No, I see what you're saying."

Selphie shrugged. "It's not like my opinion matters to Ellone, anyway." She forced herself to brighten up. "Let's go, I need to check up on the Ragnarok. It's been awhile since I've flown that baby."

> > >

Seifer was waiting somewhat impatiently for the elevator. He wasn't sure if basing Rinoa's supporters in Galbadia hotel was such a great idea, but it was all they had. Using Caraway's money, they practically bought over the place and closed it to the public. Of course, there wasn't much of a public left in Deling. Early battles destroyed half the city, and civilians had fled to other towns, traveling as far as Shumi Village. They also bought the troops they needed with Caraway's money. It wouldn't do to have him dead, inheritance or not. The soldiers, unbelievably, were loyal to Caraway and would serve Rinoa because he asked. If her father were removed from the picture, he wasn't sure if they would remain loyal.

The elevator arrived and he pushed the button for three floors down. Seifer didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was worried. Rinoa still remained on icy terms with her father and would be extremely reluctant to help. He didn't think she understood the balance between herself, her father, and the soldiers.

The doors slid open and Seifer moved out quickly, his coat snapping in his fast stride. He banged on the door of the fourth room. "Open up, it's me." He said.

"Coming, coming…" he heard from inside.

The door swung open, and there was Rajin, grinning at Seifer. "Finally, we get something to do. It's gotten kind of boring here, you know?"

"No, I don't know." Seifer quipped in spite of himself. Fujin rolled her eyes. "You guys know the situation, right?"

"SHAKY." Fujin pronounced.

"Good. I told Mr. Cowboy that you guys were already out on a mission, so he wouldn't send you guys off to do paperwork when I need you." Seifer said. "This Saturday at two, there will be guard switch at Caraway's mansion. Ellone is planning to assassinate Caraway then. You know we can't let that happen. I don't know how it's going to occur, but we know it is." He unconsciously clenched his fists and relaxed them again in a gesture of anxiety. "Mr. Cowboy is trying to convince Rinoa to send troops over, but I don't know how likely that's going to be. I need you guys there to watch over Caraway, alright? They're dispatching some SeeD forces, maybe twenty of them in total."

"EASY."

"Yeah, and besides, they don't even use guardian forces anymore." Rajin snorted derisively. "How stupid is that?"

"You may kill if necessary." Seifer said. "The order that takes priority is to protect Caraway. You guys won't have contact with me, but I trust you. Don't let me down."

"When do we leave?"

Seifer smiled. "Immediately. You guys were bored, right?" he pulled out an envelope from his pocket. "I took the liberty of writing a note to Caraway from Rinoa. You guys will be his bodyguards for the next little while."

Fujin looked at the envelope and recognized Seifer's scrawl trying to imitate Rinoa's. "FAKE."

"Of course it's a forgery," Seifer said impatiently. "But she never writes to Caraway, so he won't know the difference. Good luck, guys."

"NO WORRIES."

> > >

Squall parked the car outside the orphanage and composed himself. With a dry eyes and a set face, he left the car and walked to the front door, ringing the bell. It was Cid who opened the door, and he smiled when he saw Squall.

"Come in," he said without any further greeting. "What brings you here? I haven't seen you for awhile."

"I need to see Matron." Squall said. "I have to discuss things with her."

Cid's genial manner darkened slightly. "Squall, if this is about convincing us to join forces, we already told you that we have had quite enough of this sorceress business."

Squall shook his head. "No."

"Well then, Edea is outside on the beach. Go out and see her. I was just trying to make some dinner. Will you be staying?"

"I don't think so." Squall made his way through the familiar rooms until he was back outside. He slowly approached the lone woman who was sitting on a large rock, letting her feet dangle in the sea while she read a book. She turned around when she heard his footsteps.

"Squall," she acknowledged, then echoed Cid. "What brings you here?"

He opened his mouth to reply when she interrupted him.

"No, I know why you're here." Edea shut her book but remained looking out at the sea. "There is only one reason why you would come back here to speak with me. Rinoa, isn't it?" He nodded mutely, and she looked resigned. "What would you like to know?"

"Cid was…is…your knight, isn't he?" Squall asked feeling like a child once more.

"Yes."

"Are you connected? Do you feel what he does?"

"All the time." Edea smiled to herself. "Right now, he's panicking because he has burnt the chicken he was trying to roast."

Squall was shocked. All he felt from …her…was a vague understanding of her feelings. Matron knew exactly what Cid was doing. "How do you know everything?" He blurted out.

"I don't, Squall." She replied, her eyes taking a faraway look. "I have been in love with Cid for so long that I know his habits, and I know every part of him. I know he's panicking, because that is what I feel. I know he burnt the roast chicken because that is what we were going to have for dinner, and Cid cannot cook. You develop it over time." She smiled wryly.

"I don't want to." Squall said jerkily, thoroughly unnerved. "I want it to stop."

Edea looked troubled. "You bound yourself to her."

"She ran."

"Then you should have run after her." Edea shook her head. "That is why you were her knight. To defend her against anything." Her eyes were sorrowful and disappointed. Squall hated that look. "After you swore to her your love and loyalty as her knight, you made love to her and sealed your promise. You created the bond. I do not know how to end it, because I haven't tried, because I have no wish to."

He was trembling with rage. "Matron, she murdered Zell in cold blood. She ran away. She betrayed me." It took enormous effort to control his voice.

Edea suddenly stood up and was a very imposing figure against the darkening sky. "Squall, how many times must I repeat myself? You were her knight. No matter what she did, of what she was accused of, you were supposed to be there. Were you? Were you there?"

Squall held her burning gaze defiantly. Matron was wrong. She was wrong. There was no other choice but to pursue the decisions he did. "I was there until she ran."

"Then you should have run after her. It's a small difference, Squall. She didn't betray you, you betrayed her."

> > >

It felt good. For a moment, she could imagine she was six years in the past, before any of this began, and the lips touching hers were Squall's.

Yet Rinoa broke away. She stared at Irvine guiltily, struggling to find appropriate words. She didn't know whether she was supposed to be happy, shocked, sad, or angry. Rinoa was still emotionally ravaged from Squall, it was far too soon to start anything with Irvine or anyone else. At least, that was what she thought. He stared at her pink lips until they parted and breathed one word. "Why?"

"Why?" he echoed, furrowing his brow. What he felt was true. He hadn't looked at another girl since he joined up with Rinoa. He felt such fierce loyalty, such an intense surge of caring for her…did it equal love? "I don't know." He said honestly. Irvine took her hands, trying to explain. "I did it because you were unhappy, and Rinoa, not many of us here can stand to see you unhappy. I can't possibly understand what you're going through, but I care…" his voice cracked as he trailed off. "I'll do anything for you. Anything to make you happy."

She nodded, calmed by his words. Irvine was her anchor. "Thank you," Rinoa managed to say. "I do want to forget Squall." It was the truth, and the realization didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. "But if we were to start anything right now…it wouldn't be fair to you. And then there's Seifer…"

"Seifer?" Irvine's head snapped up. "What about him?"

Rinoa smiled at him faintly. "He's just Seifer."

He was still holding her hands. "Just remember that…I'll be here. No matter what happens."

"I will." Rinoa leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. Those were very close to Squall's words, and the words Seifer spoke to her so long ago. Maybe it was time to find a new knight…

There was a quick knocking on the door. "Rinoa?" It was Seifer's voice, drawing out her name as long as he could.

"Speak of the devil," Irvine muttered to himself.

"Come in!"

Seifer looked meaningfully at Irvine, who was ready to kick himself. He had completely forgotten to ask Rinoa about deploying troops to her father's mansion. He tried to motion to Seifer not to mention it, waving his arms frantically.

"So, has Irvine explained the situation to you?" Seifer asked, taking a seat in one of Rinoa's chairs.

"Shit." Irvine leaned one arm against the door and tiled his hat lower to cover his eyes. That way, he couldn't see anybody. Maybe no one could see him. He slouched lower, hoping in vain his rhetoric would work. "Shit shit shit shit shit…"

Rinoa was puzzled, looking over at Irvine. "I think we've worked things out. I mean, we were just talking about it before you came in. But how do you know about it?"

"Zone and Watts have done some excellent reconnaissance work. Naturally, they let me and Irvine know about it. We discussed everything before we brought it to your attention." Seifer said.

She lifted an eyebrow. "You discussed it all with Zone and Watts, who were spying?"

"That's their primary function here, isn't it?" Seifer said, also becoming confused but trying to hide it.

Irvine wished he wasn't so tall, then he would be so noticeable.

"Not to spy on me or Irvine, no." Rinoa said, crossing her arms. She was beginning to look just a little impatient.

"Not on you, Caraway. Aren't you going to send troops over?"

The bomb had been dropped. The shit had hit the fan. Irvine was sorely tempted to leave the room and run, however, that wouldn't reflect well on him. Rinoa was silent, though she looked furious, while Seifer was looking from her to Irvine and back again. A look of sudden understanding passed through his face as he stared at Irvine.

"Oh shit."

> > >

To be continued…

A/N: So that's the end of the redone chapters, you can expect a new one shortly. This is actually the most difficult fic for me to write, because there are so many tangents I want to go off on, but I can't, because…well, because it would get far too complicated. Thanks for reading!


	5. In Which She Sees Strange Shooting Stars

The Second War

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Final Fantasy VIII.

A/N: So here is the new chapter I have promised. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: In Which there are Strange Shooting Stars

> > >

Caraway was looking through some documents somewhat impatiently when he noticed a solider standing then. He did not salute, meaning he must have already done so. The general briefly wondered how long the man had been standing there. "Yes?"

"Sir, two dispatches from your daughter have arrived. They say they have important news for you."

"From my daughter?" Caraway neatly hid his surprise by looking out the window. Although Rinoa lived extremely close by, he barely saw her. He knew she held nothing but contempt for him. Still, she was his daughter, and he had sworn to Julia to watch over her.

The soldier straightened. This was probably a sign of annoyance, so Caraway turned back to him. "Send them in, and have yourself and another guard accompany them." This was little protection for Caraway against Rinoa's men, who were all trained to be SeeDs, but it was better than nothing.

A moment later, the soldier reappeared with his comrade and two strangers who looked vaguely familiar.

"What business do you have here?" Caraway asked curtly.

"LETTER." The pale woman thrust a letter into his hands and looked at him expectantly. Caraway stared back at her for a moment, wondering if he could intimidate her, but then he shrugged and opened the envelope.

_I have received certain information that your mansion will be attacked tomorrow during the guard change. I have sent my aides, Fujin and Raijin, to act as your bodyguards until the danger has passed. It wouldn't do to have you dead. Also, it would be wise to delay your guard change. I will be sending some troops over on Saturday for standby, should you need them._

_Rinoa Heartilly._

Caraway smiled to himself grimly at his daughter's words. They were cold, to be sure, but at the very least, she wanted him alive.

> > >

Squall slammed the car door shut in the parking lot of Balamb Garden. The trip to Edea's was useless, and now he had to face Ellone's bitching. Students scattered as he strode stormily towards his office.

He felt a vague satisfaction as he reached his office uninterrupted, and again slammed the door shut, feeling even more satisfied as a picture frame fell to the floor and shattered. Décor in his room was minimal; he had thrown almost everything sentimental out when Rinoa left. That frame contained his SeeD diploma, so he pulled the paper out from the glass and set it on his desk. That was when he froze.

"Why don't you just fuck off, dear Sis?"

Slowly, his chair moved around, revealing Ellone, looking smug. "How was your trip?"

"Good," Squall said, wanting her out more than anything. "I got away from you. Why the hell are you in my office?"

Ellone's dark eyes glittered as she pointed to the papers on her desk. "I have Selphie's plan for the attack. I want you to go over them."

"If Selphie planned it, I'm sure it's fine," Squall muttered, turning to leave. If Ellone wasn't getting out, he was. She stood up from her seat and blocked his exit venomously.

"The only reason you'd visit Matron is for sorceress advice," she hissed. "And the only sorceress we know is the one we're trying to kill. Are you having second thoughts, brother?"

"Don't question my loyalty or action." Squall said stolidly. "It's none of your business." Roughly, he pushed Ellone away from the door and stormed out of the room. She watched him for a moment, and turned back to use his phone.

"Xu? Inform Selphie that I will be making minor changes to Squad C…tell her it will not affect her plans at all. Yes, that's fine, I'll also be sending a note down to her." Ellone hung up the phone and ran her fingers through her dark hair thoughtfully. She left Squall's office and headed towards her own set of rooms.

Once she arrived, she waved all her aides and servants away, and sat down on a large armchair. She leaned backwards into it and exhaled slowly. Mentally, she counted back the years since this war started. She decided on six. Now was where her memory had to do much of the work. Because of her ability to see through time, she had sharpened her memory mercilessly, until she was able to recall, down to the minute, the time of major events.

Soon, she located the time she was looking for, and shut her eyes, focusing on the memory, willing herself to be placed in it.

> > >

_Ellone was standing in a dark corridor of Garden. She took a moment to orient herself, for students were hurrying in all directions. Someone was screaming. The lights overhead were flickering. _

_Squall's voice made her jump, but then she laughed to herself. He was speaking on the PA system. "This is your commander speaking. I would like all students to return to their dormitories. I have investigated the current situation with my staff. I repeat, all students are to return to their dormitories. There is no need to panic. Thank you."_

_If this message was just aired, then Squall and the rest of them would soon be returning to the main floor of Garden. Waiting until the hallways emptied out, Ellone hurried across to the elevator, concealing herself in the shadows. She was only going to reveal herself to one person._

_Soon, she heard the elevator doors open, and heard all their voices. Selphie was hysterical, and Irvine was half carrying her. His face was grim but disbelieving. Squall walked in the front, his eyes red, but his face was set. Ellone from the past was following slightly behind Squall. Hiding in the shadows, she proudly noted that her face was perfectly blank and composed. Cid looked utterly distraught, muttering to himself and wringing his hands. Last of all came Quistis and Seifer. Seifer looked disgusted and sneered at Squall's back, while Quistis looked like she was still in shock._

_Ellone knew why they all emerged from upstairs like that, and felt satisfaction grow within her. Squall had just announced to them his intentions towards the sorceress, and the schism between the wonder team was about to begin. _

_They appeared like shadows in the darkness of Garden, each of them slipping away to their own rooms. Ellone silently began to walk a short distance behind them, and once she heard all the doors shut, she approached one of them and knocked on it._

_The door swung open. Quistis stared at Ellone for a moment, rubbing her wet eyes, and stepped aside to let her in. Ellone looked around Quistis's apartment. A large suitcase was open, and it looked like she had haphazardly thrown things in._

_"You're leaving?" Ellone asked. _

_She nodded vehemently. "I'm not going to stick around and choose sides. This is all fucked up, I don't want any part in it."_

_"Where are you going?"_

_Quistis looked at Ellone and narrowed her eyes. "I don't plan on letting anyone know, I just don't want people following me." _

_Ellone felt irritation rise, but she stamped it down. "Do you really think I'd open my mouth and blab it to anyone?"_

_Quistis regarded Ellone for a moment, and despite herself, Ellone trembled under her gaze. She felt as if Quistis knew more than she let on. Her pale eyes pierced her, and she shrugged after awhile. "Fisherman's Horizon." She continued to seize different items of clothing from her drawers and throw them into the suitcase._

_"I see. I can't say I'm not surprised, I thought you'd stay with Squall," Ellone said, deliberately prodding Quistis's weak spot. _

_She stiffened. "Why would you think that?"_

_"I thought you were in love with him."_

_"He is in love with Rinoa."_

_"Was."_

_"Perhaps. I'm not going to get caught in the middle of this." Quistis repeated dully, hesitating over a scarf Ellone helped Squall pick out for her birthday. She let it drop into the suitcase._

_"If you did, you'd probably get Squall, now that Rinoa's out of the picture." Ellone said simply. "Well, I'm off. Maybe I'll see you around." _

_ > > >_

Ellone opened her eyes with a rush of satisfaction. Fisherman's Horizon. So that's where Quistis had been hiding all these years. The stupid dump was practically falling apart, no wonder she hadn't thought about it before. She didn't think anyone in their right mind would want to live there. She drummed her fingers against the cushioned armrest, and got to her feet. There was a trip she needed to make.

> > >

In Dollet, there lived a girl name Liese. She could not have been more than fourteen years old, but had no parents to properly tell her age. Liese worked as a barmaid, washing dishes and clearing tables. She shared a room with an old woman who paid half the rent, but was so deaf she didn't seem aware of Liese's presence.

Tonight, Liese finished work just before midnight and began her ten minute trudge home. She was tired and dirty. As she pulled her coat tighter around herself in the cold night air, she looked up at the sky, surprised to see the moon so large and full.

As she continued to walk, she saw streaks of light shooting through the sky. Liese smiled at the pretty sight, having nothing pretty to call her own. Because the streets were deserted, she decided to take the shortcut home. Liese ducked into the alleyway, increasing her speed because the narrow lane was not lit. She froze when she saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a lantern approach her, step by step.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively.

The lantern swung as the stranger took another step, and Liese saw a flash of metal. She shuddered, realizing it was a knife. She frantically turned around to leave the alley and screamed. A hulking monster with giant arms loomed over her, growling. A drop of it's spittle landed on her face. From the swinging lantern approaching her, she saw it was completely yellow and green. She had seen these before in the newspapers, it was a Wendigo, stupid and brutal. Families could barely identify the victims after a Wendigo was done with them.

Liese backed away. She didn't know whether is was better to face the Wendigo or the strange shadow with the lantern. However, she saw that the alleyway branched off into a different street, and it was close enough for her to make it. Quickly, she ran into it, dodging the lantern-wielding creature, and was terrified to find a dead end.

A low sob escaped from her as she watched it take a step after her. It was slow and deliberate. It took step after step, it's eyes glowing malevolently, it's lantern swinging. Liese was never taught how to fight, and could only stare at it as it raised the butcher knife.

> > >

Rinoa leapt to her feet, her dark eyes flashing. "Are you telling me that you sent MY troops to protect that man?" she demanded. She took a menacing step towards Seifer, who, to his credit, didn't flinch.

"It was necessary." Seifer said neutrally. Oh, Rinoa could be terrifying when she was angry, be he forced himself to stay calm.

"Yeah, Rinoa, we only do things in your best interest." Irvine added earnestly, relieved that the bulk of her fury was targeted towards Seifer. "It's only a temporary measure, until Saturday."

"What about casualties? I can't have my men injured, my numbers down!" Rinoa said desperately.

"It's unlikely they'll even see battle this time." Seifer said. "I've only sent them in as backup, if something goes wrong with Caraway's men."

"I don't think it's in my best interest for you to tell me what you are doing with my soldiers. What if the hotel was suddenly attacked? Who would defend us there? Hmm?" Rinoa flung her arms open, gesturing wildly. "What if…he…came down to attack us?" Her eyes shone with a naked fear. "I once told him only he could pierce my heart with his sword."

"We'll both be here." Irvine pointed out quietly. "We won't leave you."

Rinoa seemed to focus a little. "And Seifer?"

"I've promised you already, long ago." He replied, briefly bringing his hand to his heart. That action seemed to startle Rinoa, and Seifer knew exactly why. It was the salute of a knight to his sorceress, a familiar old action for him. Now was the time, he knew, as Rinoa met and held his gaze."Irvine, do you think I could talk to Rinoa alone for a moment?"

The taller man hesitated, looking towards Rinoa. She inclined her head slightly, so he tipped his hat to her and murmured "I'll check in on you later," before leaving.

Seifer stepped towards Rinoa, who tilted her head to the side, studying him. "You want to be my knight," she said wonderingly. "To replace Squall."

He shook his head. "I don't give a damn about Squall. I just want to protect you, always. I know you can feel Squall…and I know it hurts you."

"What about Edea and Adel? Did you…you know…"

Seifer had to bite back a smile. "What, sleep with them? Of course not. Back then, we didn't know about this whole connection deal. I just acted as a knight…so I don't think I could say I ever was a knight. Small difference, I guess."

"You'll swear always to protect me, to guide me, to stay with me and love me for the rest of our lives?" Rinoa asked softly. "Never to leave me and betray me?" A sudden memory of her asking Squall the same questions assaulted her, and she pushed it away.

"I swear it." Seifer said, taking Rinoa's hand and kissing it, then pulling her to him in a fierce embrace.

> > >

To be continued…

A/N: Going on how long it took me to write this chapter, you could probably expect the next one within a week. It's just that I have to set up several things, and I'm trying to arrange it all on paper first. Reviews are welcome!


	6. In Which There is a Bad Accent

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: In Which There is a Bad Accent

> > >

_Thrust, parry, block. _

The T-Rexuar howled angrily and swung it's tail around. Squall ducked behind a thick trunk, and the top of it was swept away by the force of the impact. _Good thing it's not my head._

He had stormed to his room after the fight with Ellone, and realizing he had nothing to do there, continued to storm onto the training centre. Squall stepped out from behind the trunk and looked up at the beast.

_Thrust, parry, block._

He dodged another vicious attack, mentally cursing his adoptive sister. The stupid T-Rexuar could have been brought down easily if he could use magic. A simple sleep spell would have done the trick. _But no, Miss I Want To Be Fucking Righteous and Rid the World of the Sorceress had to ban it. As if you could bring her down with physical attacks alone. _Squall still had magic; he just refrained from using it nowadays. There was no way on earth he was going to throw out all his hard earned spells that took him years to collect.

_Thrust, parry, block._

Squall had angrily slashed at the underbelly of the T-Rexuar, leaving a long gash. Its blood dripped onto him, and the monster let out a unmistakable scream of pain. _Staying at Garden was a mistake. I should have been a hermit. I should have made myself a fucking hut on the Island Closest to Hell, and I still would have been happier there._

The T-Rexuar desperately swung it's claws, and Squall, thinking of other things and not quite paying attention, got hit across his back and shoulder. Angry with himself for being so careless, he ignored the searing pain and blood sweeping through his shirt and leapt at the enemy.

He plunged the gunblade into the T-Rexuar, triggering it with deep satisfaction. With a groan, it fell over, shaking the floor of the training centre as it landed. Squall pulled his gunblade out and wiped the blood off on the grass. Just as he turned to leave, the T-Rexuar lifted its head.

Squall was surprised the final attack didn't kill it. He slowly tuned back to it and raised his gunblade again, searching its black eyes. The T-Rexuar whimpered and stared back.

Suddenly, he felt sick. The smell of blood mingling with his own sweat was making him nauseous, and it was everywhere. Coming from him, coming from the T-Rexuar, mixing and making a disgusting river of crimson that was soaking into the ground. He staggered to a bush and retched, using his gunblade for support. Then he turned back to the T-Rexuar, who whined at him.

Squall didn't know what to do. The logical thing, he told himself sternly, was to finish it off quickly. But he couldn't, and continued to watch its eyes. He wanted to vomit again, but there was nothing left. His chest heaving, he slowly approached it. _Hyne help me, there will be hell to pay if Ellone finds out._

He mentally searched through his inventory of spells, feeling his Guardian Forces nudge at his mind, put off from disuse. _Not my choice, guys, sorry. _Squall finally located curaga. He concentrated on it for a moment, his body surrounded it a glowing blue aura, and the T-Rexuar's wounds mended itself. It had left an ugly scar down it's belly, but there was nothing Squall could have done about it.

The T-Rexuar slowly got to its feet. Squall was beginning to regret healing it. He wasn't up to another fight, as all the blood he was losing caused him to become lightheaded. It roared, the sound shaking the leaves of the trees. Then it took its short forearm, cuffed Squall on the head, and tramped back deeper into the training area.

> > >

Dr. Odine was not happy. In fact, he was so nervous, he was sweating. "Zat iz not possible!" he expostulated, fishing for a handkerchief.

His eyes were riveted to the newspaper on his table, and for once, the headline was not the sorceress. He mopped up his forehead and wrung his hands as he stared at photos. Dollet was suddenly being overrun by monsters, and nobody could figure out why.

"But I know why!" Dr Odine cried. "They think it cannot be ze Lunar Cry, but it must, must, must be it!" He ran to his bookshelf, pulled down a thick volume, and began ripping through it feverishly. "Ansel!" he shouted, calling for his remaining assistant. A tall, skinny man with thick glasses came from the next room, looking alarmed.

"Come and read zat." Dr Odine said, thrusting his bony finger at a passage in the book.

Ansel rubbed his eyes wearily. "Doc, I've been working on the restraints non-stop since you assigned it to me, I really can't read for you."

He glared at the assistant. "Oho, but you cannot work on zat if ve all are dead!"

Ansel was startled enough by his statement to read it. "It has been recorded since written history began that there have always been the lunar cry. Typically, it occurs every few hundred years, with monsters falling from the moon onto earth. It is said that the crystal pillar, believed to have also originated from the moon, affects the frequency and severity of the lunar cry. The worst lunar cry ever recorded occurred 100 years ago, destroying the continent of Centra. Researches speculate that scientists from Centra were performing experiments on the crystal pillar, although the nature of these experiments remains unknown. More recently, Tears Point, located in Esthar, had been constructed as a possible method of controlling the lunar cry. Today, the crystal pillar is contained within the Lunatic Pandora."

"And vat is wrong with zat?" Dr. Odine demanded wildly, snatching back the book and shoving it back on the shelf.

"The Lunatic Pandora was nuked about six years ago when all the governments were collapsing and Ellone and the Sorceress began the war." Ansel said. "Well, except for Esthar. We've always been the exception."

"Ze Lunatic Pandora had ze crystal pillar, which focused the Lunar Cry on an area around it!" Dr Odine shouted. "Now zat it is gone, vat will control it, eh? You? I think not. It will destroy everthing! I have been researching it! Look see!" He grabbed a series of large photos from his desk. They were taken at the Centra ruins, and all displayed strange hieroglyphs. "I have deciphered zat! Ancient writings say Hyne sent down ze pillar to control ze Lunar cry! To focus it on one area alone! But ze pillar is no more! Monsters can fall in any place! Hyne help us!"

Ansel turned pale. "But…what about Esthar? We'll be okay here…we have Laguna's force field!"

Dr. Odine snorted. "Oh yes, it vill protect us for now, because Ellone has not yet attacked Esthar because of Laguna, and ze Sorceress vas once great friends with him too. It vill not last forever, I promise you zat. If ze monsters keeps attacking ze force field, ve vill not have ze power to keep it up."

"What will we do?" Ansel asked hopelessly.

"Get back to work, of course!" Dr. Odine roared. "Finish vat I told you to do!"

> > >

Irvine was standing in the hall outside of Rinoa's room, pacing in circles. It had been quite awhile since he was asked to leave, and it was annoying him that he should be excluded from whatever it was Rinoa and Seifer were up to.

"I have a right to know what's going on," he muttered to himself, briefly stopping his pacing to shoot a glare at the door. "It's not as if I'd run to Ellone and spill my guts."

During his sojourn outside, he had tried to work out his muddled feeling for Rinoa but ended up confusing himself even more. For six, nearly seven years now, he had loyally defended her from everything that saw fit to take her down. Dollet, Winhill, even Timber and Fisherman's Horizon managed to muster together soldiers to march against her. Dollet was the most dangerous of the four, it had once been the center and capital of Galbadia until Deling prospered. It rose up against her, glad of an excuse to try to retake the continent. Irvine, commanding the army in that battle with Seifer, left Dollet in shambles, it's communications tower completely destroyed. People still lived there to this day, but remained quiet, trying to ignore the rest of the world. He still bore the scars of the bullet wounds he took, and grimly remembered the weeks he had spent in recovery.

Rinoa was reluctant to take action against Winhill, believing it to be too small to be harmful, until an anti-sorceress fanatic tried to shoot her. He took it easily in less than a day, rooted out the most dangerous rebels, and quietly had them shot. It was no good showing mercy, as Rinoa was inclined to do. He personally saw them burning effigies of her, pure fear and hatred apparent in their eyes.

Fisherman's Horizon was a surprise for all of them. Their long-standing pacifism code shattered the second Ellone began her anti-sorceress propaganda. It was a pity they couldn't stamp out the resentment there completely, because of it's remote area, but Seifer had sent out a well aimed Galbadian missile that took out it's larger structures.

The uprising of Timber killed Rinoa, and even surprised Seifer. It seemed as if her Forest Owls days were completely forgotten by them. If she was reluctant to punish Winhill, she was downright stubborn with Timber. Irvine had pleaded with her endlessly, but she wouldn't relent. It wasn't until men from Timber marched to Deling with axes and guns did she give the order to attack. The men managed to tear down the most of the parks and arches, before Caraway's men slaughtered them all. The Deling sewers ran with their blood for days, sickening all the residents. When Irvine reached Timber, there were no more men left, and the women and children submitted without a fight.

Rinoa didn't require her people to occupy the towns they won, and neither did Ellone, because neither of them had the army to keep the towns. The towns soon learned to keep quiet and to themselves, and that it was no good trying to mix themselves in with the war.

Irvine sighed. It was almost pointless keeping this war up. Rinoa should just go out for Ellone's head once and for all. He had suggested this once before, but Rinoa refused, insisting that she wouldn't stoop to such cheap tactics. She wanted to win the people over, to make them see she wasn't the bad guy. After that, she believed everything would fall naturally in to place. I wish, Irvine thought bleakly. She's still so naïve, after everything.

He sighed again heavily, and looked back up at Rinoa's door. Looking up and down the empty hallway, Irvine made up his mind. He crept silently towards the door and placed his ear by the keyhole.

"I can't, Seifer, not now…"

"You can't wait forever for him, he's already gone."

"There are advantages for me to stay like this."

Seifer's voice rose, sounded disbelieving and impatient. "But I just swore!"

"You've bound yourself to me spiritually, and that will be enough for now. I can't lose this connection, it tells me a lot about what's going on in Balamb."

"Rinoa!" Seifer was frustrated, it was evident by his tone, and even Irvine, who was so far completely dazed by what he was hearing, was taken aback by the furor in his voice.

"Seifer…" She was whispering.

He heard a soft moan, but whether it was Rinoa or Seifer, he couldn't tell. Irvine felt sickened. Then Seifer gave another cry of frustration.

Her voice became harder, flecked with steely resolution. "I promise you, soon, but not now." Irvine backed away from the door, dizzy. So Rinoa was going to make Seifer her new knight. Why hadn't she at least spoken to him about it before?

Feeling betrayed, Irvine slumped against the wall. She was just playing with me before, he thought savagely. All these years, and she was just playing with me.

> > >

The sky was ominously gray, and thunderclouds were quickly building in the sky. A strong wind was whipping through the loading area of the Ragnarok, sending the papers on Selphie's clipboard flapping. She turned to Laguna and raised an ironic eyebrow. "Perfect day for an attack." She deadpanned. Laguna made a face, and she turned back towards her papers.

Her eyes scanned all the SeeDs in training as they solemnly marched onto the ship in columns. They weren't a bad lot, she admitted to herself. Just not as experienced as they should be for this sort of mission.

"Worried?" Laguna asked quietly.

"A little." She admitted. "These kids are young, going up against Caraway's seasoned guards. At least we'll outnumber them." She watched the last of them enter the Ragnarok, and she followed behind them to shut the door and make sure the latch was locked.

Laguna followed her. "Hey. Don't look like your going to a funeral. Be happy, like me!" He gave her a half-hearted grin.

She chuckled, but it was over quickly and Selphie became serious again. "I just have a bad feeling that something's going to go wrong." She said to him as they got in the Ragnarok and buckled their seatbelts.

"Well, you never know." Laguna replied. "We just have to try our best, or die trying." He added with a smile. He reached out a picked up the speaker for the PA system. "Good afternoon, my dear SeeDs to be!" He said cheerfully enough. "This is Laguna speaking! I trust you all have been sufficiently filled in on our task at hand, but here is a brief reminder, in case you have forgotten! Squad B! You are to secure Caraway's mansion, taking out any Galbadian guards you meet in the process. Squad C! You are to enter the mansion once it has been secured and to reach Caraway himself. Do not attempt to harm him, as he will be brought to Ellone, as per Selphie's plans! Remember to try your hardest, and you will make me proud! The order that takes priority is to retreat! That is all, have a nice day!"

Laguna replaced the microphone, looking satisfied with himself. They both could hear the faint cheering from below in response to his little speech. "Ready to go, Miss Selphie?"

Selphie turned the key in the ignition, lovingly feeling the familiar hum of the Ragnarok. "I guess I am."

> > >

To be continued…

Well, I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter, and again, the next one should be up within the week! Reviews make me happy, and motivate me too!


	7. In Which Prisoners are Taken

The Second War

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Final Fantasy VIII is not mine, it's probably not yours, and I make no money from it.

A/N: Two days for an update! Not too shabby, ain't it? Enjoy!

Chapter 7: In Which Prisoners are Taken

> > >

Fujin briefly checked the time on the clock before returning her attention to Caraway. "FIVE MINUTES." She pronounced.

He nodded shortly. "My men are already informed of their orders. The guard switch will occur after Ellone's forces try their takeover."

"And no worries, sir, we'll watch over you, just like Rinoa wants, ya know?" Rajin added. Caraway ignored him, and continued to look out his front window contemptuously.

Fujin had to fight her rising disdain for this man, and could see why Rinoa had so many problems with him. He was nothing short of rude with them, and the past few days had been very trying for her. To add further insult, Caraway insisted two of his own guards accompany them, as if he didn't trust them to do their job. She couldn't wait to get off this assignment, boredom or not. Rajin was having a better time of it, because of his thick skin. She fiddled with the latch on her pinwheel impatiently.

She was impatient for a fight. She had fought alongside Seifer in the Dollet battle, and besides a few minor skirmishes since then, she had mostly been sent spying or training troops. Fujin glanced sideways at Rajin, and was sure he felt the same way. This war had been stuck at an impasse for too long, and she could feel that this attack could change things.

There was a different feeling in the air, a darker mood than hung as ominously as the dark clouds. Fujin didn't think it was just herself; people seemed to be aware of the palpable tension. As if on cue, it began to rain, and the heavy droplets of rain began to pound on the windows, sounding like bullets. She relished the mood, it was an atmosphere of battle, the very thing she trained for her entire life.

Caraway gave a sudden bark of laughter. "The Ragnarok," he said, sneering. "They've sent the Ragnarok. How subtle." He nodded to his commander, a distinguished looking man with silver hair, who saluted smartly and left the room. "He'll take care of the battle. We'll have to wait here for it to finish, as my daughter wishes."

They watched as the ship hovered for a moment, and Fujin see Selphie in the cockpit furiously working at the controls. A panel on the front of the Ragnarok began to slide back.

Fujin suddenly understood. "MISSLE!" She shouted, and pushed Caraway back just as the room around her exploded. Glass was flying in all direction, and she raised and arm to protect her face just as she felt the sensation of falling. She hit the ground hard and felt a rib crack as part of a wooden shelf landed on her. The upper level of the mansion had collapsed. Getting to her feet and coughing in the debris, she heard Rajin calling out to her.

"HERE! FINE!" She called back to him, the rain whipping at her face. "GET CARAWAY!"

"Gotcha!" She heard Caraway cursing furiously as Rajin was getting him out. "I'll call out Rinoa's reserves!"

The Ragnarok must have landed by now, because she now heard soldiers shouting, and the clash of metal and bullets. Fujin had lost her pinwheel in the collapse, but her hands quickly flew to her side and located her sword. It would have to do for now. She pushed her way past the wooden beams and plaster, ignoring the pain in her side.

Fujin ran forwards, trying to ignore the water squishing in her boots. It seemed like the most heated fight was right on Caraway's front lawn, so she raised her sword and met one of the enemy. She was surprised. They weren't even full fledged SeeDs yet, and were kind of young to be sent on this sort of mission. The drenched boy fought decently, but was no match for her veteran experience. Fujin quickly knocked him unconscious, for she had no desire to kill a student. She wouldn't have been so scrupulous if he was older, however, and he was lucky in that aspect. A girl came barreling towards her with two long knives.

Fujin paused to wipe the rainwater and sweat from her brow before meeting her attack. She held the knives with her sword, and reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist. "FOOLISH." She spat at her, before twisting her wrist, making her drop one of the knives. The girl began to struggle futilely, the panic evident in her eyes.

Fujin froze when she felt cool metal touch the back of her neck.

"Well, that's hardly a fair fight. Let her go."

Resentfully, she eased her grip, and the girl quickly stooped down to pick up the knife. Fujin turned around slowly to find the barrel of a machine gun pointed at her. It's owner smiled wanly at her, water dripping from his face and hair. "LAGUNA." She acknowledged, inclining her head with contempt.

Laguna addressed the girl first. "Squad B? The order to retreat has been called. Something's gone bad. Back to the Ragnarok, quickly, and tell anyone you see on the way back." He turned back to Fujin. "Well, I could shoot you right now."

"SNEAK." Fujin said, her eye narrowing, as if she was daring him to pull the trigger.

"Today's your lucky day. We're going to take you with us, because we can't find Caraway." Laguna said. "Arms in the air, okay, and get on the Ragnarok."

Triumph shone in her eyes. If they had no clue where Caraway was, she had done her job properly, and Seifer was sure to be pleased. That was all that mattered. Almost demurely, she placed her arms in the air and boarded the Ragnarok.

> > >

At the edge of the property, there was a girl with long black hair dressed in the trainee uniform. She was soaked to the bone, and water slid through her hair and dripped onto the grass. She was holding her whip to herself, trying to ignore the blood that was soaking into her hand. She had already injured two Galbadian soldiers, taking their skin off completely where she hit them. It was utter chaos. Dust was still rising from the ruined mansion, and the overwhelming noise from the fight was disorienting her. It didn't help she could barely see through the heavy rain. She jumped when someone grabbed her arm.

"Seaton!" It was one of the members from her squad, who was transferred in at the last moment because the regular member had fallen ill. His hazel eyes glowed with excitement, but his cropped dark hair was covered in dust. He was shivering from the rain. "Is there news?"

"Not yet, Gale." He said, wiping his short sword on the grass. "How many have you taken down so far?"

"Just two, but I didn't kill them." She admitted, embarrassed. Gale knew that Ellone's policy was to kill dissenters, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do it.

Seaton was scanning the area alertly, squinting because of the rain. "Let's go this way," he said, pointing towards the mansion itself. "Maybe we'll find Caraway, and we'll be heroes. Just think about it!"

Gale nodded. Her parents had sent her to Garden with high hopes that she would make a great military career for herself, but so far, she hadn't done anything spectacular to bring attention to herself. Finding Caraway would surely change that. She followed Seaton, carefully picking her way through the bricks and broken pillars.

She found herself walking into him. "Why did you stop?" she complained, rubbing her forehead. She peered around him. "Shit," she whispered. There was a whole legion of armed soldiers, and judging from their uniforms, they served the sorceress. Standing at the front was a dark, rather heavy set man brandishing a staff. Gale began to back away slowly.

"Stay where you are, and we won't kill you, ya know?" The man commanded. He shook some water from his hair. Gale froze at once. Seaton hadn't moved since she bumped into him. He turned to the rest of the men. "I'm thinking Rinoa would like to meet these two." He nodded to two of them, who came forward with ropes. They took their weapons and bound them by the wrist and ankles. "Take them back to headquarters, and tell Seifer or Irvine, they'll know what to do."

Gale trembled. From what she was taught, Seifer and Irvine were Rinoa's greatest and most powerful advocates, who never failed to win her a fight. No way did she want see them, so conspicuously dressed in Ellone's SeeD uniform.

She turned helplessly towards Seaton, who was being shoved into the back of a van. He shrugged at her passively, so she put on an impassive face as well. Inwardly, she prayed the rest of the battle was going well and her absence would be discovered soon.

> > >

It was not raining in Fisherman's horizon, but it was cloudy enough to make Quistis believe there would be rain soon. She had heard reports that Ellone had initiated an attack on Caraway's mansion, that, by all accounts, failed miserably.

She wanted everything to end. She knew that if the world turned against Rinoa, she would have been happy to just live in a secluded area of the world with Squall. It was a pity Squall had turned against her, for now Rinoa wanted vengeance. All Ellone did was complicate things.

Squall. Try as she might, she could not put aside her lingering feelings for the man. Quistis once told Rinoa that she had gotten over him, but she had been lying through her teeth to save face. She would still want Squall if he lived on the ends of the earth with Rinoa.

It made her ache thinking about him. Her silent student, his studied coldness had always appealed to her. Oh, she still wanted him now, and now was the best time to get him.

But she wouldn't. She had vowed to become a pacifist, and going to Squall would be the same as openly declaring her support for Ellone. To some residents of Fisherman's Horizon, she made no sense. Quistis harbored resentment towards Rinoa for winning over Squall, but would not act on it. She could have been powerful politically if she chose sides long ago, but she decided to embrace peace instead. She would only act against Rinoa personally, not politically.

Quistis was startled out of her thoughts by someone knocking on her door. Briefly, she looked at herself in the mirror. Since she came to live here, she had not bothered putting her hair up, and as a result, her new look softened the often stern look on her face. She opened the door and had to step back to grab the edge of a bookshelf in astonishment.

"Why the hell are you here?"

Ellone stepped into Quistis's apartment and shut the door behind her before lowering the hood on her black cloak. Her dark hair and grown much longer since Quistis last saw her, and it reminded her eerily of Edea's hair. "Just for a visit."

"How did you know I was here?" Quistis demanded.

"If I'm really curious, I can find anything out," Ellone replied haughtily, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Well, you can get back to Balamb. I'm not choosing sides." Quistis said loudly, narrowing her eyes behind her glasses.

"I'm not asking you to."

"Well then, what do you want?" Quistis asked warily. She moved away from her bookshelf to sit on her chair, not bothering to ask Ellone to sit down. She knew the danger of her current position. There was nothing to stop Ellone from killing her right now, and the only people powerful enough to speak out against her was Rinoa's group. She wasn't going to choose sides, so she had to tread carefully.

"I'm not going to mince words with you." Ellone stated, sitting down in Quistis's only other chair and smoothing her cloak over her knees. "Squall's been…off…lately. I think he needs companionship to make him forget that bitch."

"I said I wasn't choosing sides." Quistis said flatly. "I think moving in with you guys would indicate I am."

"No one has to know. No one knows I came here. I took a Garden helicopter and flew here myself. If you come back with me, no one will know. No one on my side would breathe a word, I can promise you that. Just put Squall in a better mood." Ellone replied, sitting back and crossing her legs casually.

"How am I supposed to do that?" She asked sarcastically. "Last I remember, he was an asshole to me as much as anybody else."

"Do whatever you like. Seduce him, for fuck's sake, I don't care." Ellone said callously.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about him?" Quistis asked suspiciously, raising her eyebrows.

Ellone studied her for a moment. "I'll tell you, but if I hear this gets out to anyone else, I swear it, I will slit your throat."

Quistis shrugged. "Fine by me."

"We've been arguing more than usual lately, and I don't need him to kick me out of Garden. I have to be based somewhere, alright? But I can't be accommodated anywhere else. So I need you to make him happy."

"Why me?"

Ellone rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows you were hot for him. You still are. Anyway, he remembers you from before, so he's more likely to trust you than any other chick I'd much rather send in."

Quistis snorted. "There has to be more to this. What else do you want me to do besides look after Squall's emotional health?"

Ellone's dark eyes became hard. "Report back to me of course. What he's up to. I have to know somehow, since he's not telling me."

"What's in it for me?"

"Squall, of course." Ellone said, widening her eyes, feigning surprise. "I thought you would have gathered that by now. Revenge on the bitch, too. Isn't that enough?" To her immense pleasure, Quistis nodded briefly, a strange light in her eyes.

"It is."

> > >

To be continued…

A/N: Thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter, it was most heartening to see people who like this enough to review. Again, the next chapter should be expected within a week. Thanks for reading, and double thanks for reviewing.


	8. In Which She Must Fly Well

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me. Thank you.

Chapter 8: In Which She Must Fly Well

> > >

Rinoa sat on a dais in her receiving chamber, waiting for news of the battle. She had dressed herself in white robes to set off her dark eyes. Her hair had been combed out over her shoulders to flow down her back, and a thin silver circlet with wings rested on her forehead. She understood the importance of appearing as a sorceress. If she didn't dress the part, she would appear as vulnerable as any other woman. Seifer and Irvine stood on either side of her, Irvine somewhat stonily, but she chalked it up to the bad weather.

Soon, Raijin entered the chamber and made a small bow. He was wrapped in bandages, and limped slightly as he moved forwards. The absence of Fujin was extremely conspicuous, and she glanced sideways at Seifer, who looked just as nonplussed.

"Raijin, please tell me what has occurred at my father's house." Rinoa said, fighting to remain calm. Where was Fujin? Fujin was always a constant presence nowadays, just like the rest of them, and she couldn't lose a single supporter.

"Well, Fujin and I were waiting with Caraway on the second floor study for the attack. We spotted the Ragnarok approaching, so Caraway told his men to get ready. The next the we know, the Ragnarok fires a bomb or something at us, and the house collapses, ya know?" Raijin paused here, wincing. "I lost Fujin in the fall, but I heard her tell me to take Caraway to safety. I knew she was going to fight, ya know? That's Fujin, and I know Fujin can take care of herself. So I took Caraway to the guards you sent. By this time, everyone was already fighting, but because of our extra troops, Ellone's forces had to withdraw. They were pretty confused, ya know? But once they left, I went searching for Fujin, and I couldn't find her anywhere."

Seifer swallowed hard. "Do you think she was taken?"

"Must have been, I didn't…I didn't find her body, ya know, so she must have been." Raijin said. "But I took these two kiddies, so we can negotiate an exchange."

Rinoa leaned forward. "We'll get Fujin back. But let me see the two you captured, they might have something interesting to tell me."

Raijin nodded to the two guards at the door, who briefly disappeared through them and returned with a boy and a girl, both around sixteen, who were bound at the wrists. They were roughly pushed forward until they were level with Raijin.

The girl with black hair was shaking, her eyes wide with panic. The boy was definitely calmer, and surveyed Rinoa with interest.

"You're not as bad as I thought you'd look." The boy announced to the surprise of everyone.

Rinoa laughed. "Ellone tells everyone I'm a twisted old hag, doesn't she?"

The girl nodded. Rinoa instantly warmed to her, because she was reminded of herself. "What are your names?"

"I'm Gale, this is Seaton." Gale said.

"And you're training to be SeeDs?" Rinoa asked, studying both of them. Perhaps she could win them over, they were impressionable enough, and their loyalty to Ellone seemed questionable.

"Yes." Seaton replied.

Irvine shifted next to Rinoa, an uncharacteristic grimace on his face. "As it stands, both of you are my prisoners. Whatever you hear from Ellone, I don't mistreat soldiers captured in battle unless it's warranted. One of my own people were taken today, and I'd like to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. You'll stay here for the time being under guard. I'll send someone to speak to you soon."

They both looked taken aback by the leniency Rinoa had shown as the two guards led them out. "Seifer, could you set Zone and Watts on them? Those two will bring their guards down, and it's most likely that they'll give information that way."

"Of course," Seifer said, briefly pressing his lips to her hand before leaving. She could hear Irvine grinding his teeth to her left.

Wearily, Rinoa dismissed the rest of her guards with a wave of her hand, until the room was just left with herself and Irvine. She rose from her chair and stood in front of him. "What's bothering you?" she asked, reaching out to touch his arm.

Irvine jerked away. "Is it true, then?"

She took a step back, battling her guilt. She knew what he meant, it was obvious to everyone now that she had chosen Seifer to be her knight. But in the process, she had totally forgotten about Irvine's feelings, and she knew that he harbored some for her. "Irvine, please…" she said quietly, looking past him. "I had to choose someone sooner or later."

"You never said a word to me, nothing! Why couldn't I have found out from you? The soldiers are snickering at me behind my back!" Irvine shouted. "And fucking Seifer is walking around like he owns the place now, and still not a word to me! Why didn't you at least tell me?"

"I didn't want you to react like this…I know that you…I know you…" For the first time in her life, Rinoa was afraid of Irvine. She had never seen him so worked up before, and she couldn't risk him leaving. She fought to quell a rising sob at the thought.

"That I what? That maybe, just maybe I'm in love with you? That maybe I wanted to be your knight?" Irvine grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. "I frankly don't give half a fuck that you choose Seifer over me, I just wanted you to tell me!"

Rinoa whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. "Irvine, I didn't know, and I was afraid, because I can't lose you. I need you." When she opened her eyes, she found Irvine's face inches from her own. She could feel his hot breath against her face, and she couldn't turn away from him gaze. Her breath quickened.

"All this time, I stood by your side. I fought for you, I won for you, Hyne knows I would have died for you." He whispered hoarsely, his arms still gripping her shoulders tightly. Irvine gave her another shake, which caused the circlet to slide off her head. It landed on the floor with a clear ring.

"I know," she breathed, wishing she didn't have to make the choice. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled her closer. "I never wanted to hurt you." They were so close, her lips brushed his as she said this.

"Rinoa." His face became awash with confusion, as if he didn't know what he was feeling, but his eyes were dark with passion. He kissed her suddenly, pushing her up against the wall behind the dais, weaving his fingers through her dark hair.

Then all the tension he was feeling was released as she let out a small sigh, tentatively bringing her arms up to his back. Irvine couldn't stop. He wanted her, needed her, wanted to drink in her spirit and not let her go. His lips moved to the side of her neck, sending Rinoa shivering, and he slowly began to pull up the hem of her dress.

Rinoa grabbed that hand and held it in her own. "You have to stop there," she said, her face and neck flushed pink.

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. "I'll do anything you ask of me."

She looked at him with an intense gaze. "Swear to be my knight."

Irvine trembled with desire at the thought. "But Seifer already has."

"He's sworn, but we haven't bound ourselves to each other." Rinoa reached up and held either side of Irvine's face in her hands, her eyes burning. "You wanted it, and have been just as loyal and good to me as Seifer has. Swear it."

"You can't have two knights."

"No, I can't."

"You would replace Seifer with me?"

"If you wanted it."

> > >

Selphie slammed her fist into the dashboard of the Ragnarok. Swearing to herself, she made sure it was on auto-pilot before storming straight into Laguna.

"Calm down, won't you?" Laguna said, squeezing water out of his hair with a towel.

"Ellone is going to hack me into bits for this!" Selphie shrieked.

"It's not our fault the guards didn't change when they were supposed to and there were reinforcements ready. There was probably a rat somewhere." Laguna replied reasonably. "Besides, Ellone won't hack you to bits for retreating when it was something we obviously couldn't win."

"She will when I shove her stupid plans up her ass." Selphie muttered darkly. "The Ragnarok, I tell you. No wonder they had reinforcements ready."

"Firing the bomb was pretty smart of you, I'd say." Laguna said, throwing the towel aside and gathering his damp hair into a low ponytail.

"It was an accident."

Laguna dropped the hair he had gathered in his hands in amusement. "What?"

Despite herself, Selphie felt a smile tug at her face. "I haven't flown in so long I forgot where the wipers were. I fired it by mistake."

He began to roar with laughter. "That is something we won't tell her."

Unexpectedly, the Ragnarok began to shudder and the lights flickered. Selphie immediately was back at the control panels, checking the screens.

"What is it?" Laguna asked, by her side in an instant.

"It's not mechanical," she replied, taking the system off autopilot and sliding into the captain's seat. Her eyes were glued to the map on the glowing screen. "I'm not sure."

The sudden change in Laguna's voice startled her. He was no longer lighthearted, and his voice was full of foreboding. "I think I do. Look outside."

Words eluded her for a moment. She blinked rapidly. "Fuck!" She couldn't not believe what she was seeing. There were at least a hundred Thrustaevises had swarmed around the ship and were trying to attack it. Sooner or later, they were going to do a mass Aero attack and knock the ship out of the air.

"Laguna, I need you to take control of the ship's guns while I fly." Selphie said, frantically trying to stamp down on her panic. "Just….shoot them if they get too close or something."

His face was faintly green. "Whatever you say," he said, dropping himself into the seat next to her and strapping himself in.

She began to increase speed, occasionally weaving in and out of the monster birds, while Laguna was wildly shooting them as fast as he could, regardless of their distance from the Ragnarok. Selphie began to feel a profound fear for the kids riding downstairs, and the weight of her responsibility to them suddenly pressed down on her shoulders. Biting her lip, she checked their location.

They were already heading slightly off course. They were supposed to fly directly over Obel Lake and straight on to Balamb, but somehow, they had veered south and was about to pass over Timber. She was going to announce this to Laguna when she heard a conspicuous absence of gunfire.

"Selphie," Laguna said unsteadily, his eyes fixated on a giant shadow outside. "I think this might be the end."

> > >

Squall was restlessly stalking around the central hallway of Garden. Hours ago, Selphie had sent word that the battle was lost and that the order to retreat had been called. He was reverently grateful that the radio transmission got through, as most of the HD cables were destroyed.

He was just passing the library when Kiros fell into step with him. "Not worried about Laguna, are you? I heard the storm was pretty bad."

Squall shot him a withering look. "Whatever," he muttered. "I just want the students back. I don't want to be responsible if they die."

"Maybe you shouldn't have let Ellone send them out in the first place," Kiros suggested gently.

"I'll take responsibility over her bitching any day." Squall stated.

A ghost of a smile passed Kiros' lips. "She's just trying to stand up for what she believes in."

"Do you think she's right?" Squall asked, half amused, half annoyed.

"I'm with Laguna on this one." Kiros said carefully, raising an eyebrow. "He feels like he owes it to her, and I'm behind Laguna all the way. Same with Ward."

"But do you think she's right?" He demanded.

Kiros neatly dodged the question again. "She's doing it for you, you know."

Squall was taken aback, but shook his head in silent disbelief.

"She feels the same way Laguna does. I think she's guilty that she had to leave you alone in the orphanage all those years ago, and she's trying to do something for you now."

"I didn't ask for any of this." Squall spat. "If she left us alone when Zell died, then this fucking war wouldn't have happened, the world wouldn't have been torn apart, and I might have been fucking married to Rinoa right now. Well, thanks a goddamn lot, Sis."

Students in the hall stopped dead and stared at them as Squall made that pronouncement. He glared at them. "Back to class," he snapped furiously.

Kiros shook his head. "All I'm saying is that she thinks she's doing what's best for you. Give her some credit."

"No," Squall said abruptly. "She's not the same Ellone as before. She changed, Kiros, long before Zell died."

"You don't think Zell was killed by Rinoa? You keep saying he died." Kiros asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know." Squall said, and he felt the mixture of guilt and anger that normally rose when this subject was brought up. "Rinoa delivered the killing blow, that's undeniable, isn't it? Selphie witnessed it, and then Rinoa ran off before explaining anything. That seems pretty damn guilty to me. And later, not even a message to me, nothing. Irvine got a message, so did Seifer, but why not me? You'd think of all people, she'd come to me for help. Hyne knows I would have been there in a second." He laughed bitterly. "And then Ellone somehow convinced me to work against her. She said that Rinoa had developed some ambitions as a Sorceress to take over the world, just like Ultimecia, and bewitched Seifer and Irvine. She said she tried to win over Zell, but when he wouldn't join her, she killed him. And…" Squall swallowed hard, not quite knowing why he was telling everything to Kiros. "And she said to me that Rinoa had to betray me, because I was her knight, and she once said I could kill her."

"And you believe Ellone." It was not a statement or a question, but rather a mix of both.

"She's never lied to me before."

> > >

To be continued….

A/N: Well, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and as always, the next one should be out within a week. Thanks for reading, and thanks to all those who have reviewed, it made me so very, very happy to see that people like it.


	9. In Which She Returns

The Second War

Disclaimer: I'm so tired of writing these. Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me. I'm not making a profit from this.

Chapter 9: In Which She Returns

> > >

Gale was surprised that she and Seaton were given proper rooms instead of being led to a cellar somewhere. Of course, Rinoa was based in the Deling Hotel, so it wasn't exactly a hardship housing prisoners comfortably. She had immediately gone to the bathroom and washed off all the mud and blood that had caked onto her skin from the fight. A hot bath did do wonders.

Seaton was leaning against the head of the bed. "I kind of like it better here." He said when he saw her emerge from the bathroom, rubbing her wet hair with a towel.

She did too, but she didn't want to admit it out loud. Ellone dealt with traitors harshly. Instead, she plopped herself down on her own bed. There was a knock on the door and a jingling of keys, so they both sat up expectantly to see who was coming in.

There were two men, one wearing a yellow vest and blue hat, while the other was dressed more normally in a blue sweatshirt. "I'm Zone," said the man in the sweatshirt. "This is Watts."

Watts was carrying a tray of food, and set it on a table for them. "While you eat, Rinoa wanted us to talk to you."

Gale went and picked up a spoon and plunged it into the steaming soup. She was ravenous. After a moment, Seaton followed her lead.

"About Ellone, right?" Seaton asked, dipping a piece of bread into his soup.

Watts shrugged. "It's standard to interrogate prisoners, right? For all she knows, we're torturing you into giving us information." He narrowed his eyes. "And believe me, we can stoop to that level."

"Ow, Watts, don't talk like that, your upsetting my stomach again…" Zone groaned, crouching and holding himself around the middle. Gale and Seaton glanced at each other briefly, and he shrugged.

Watts grinned. "I had to give the standard disclaimer. Now, how many students are at Garden?"

Gale thought about it. "There are maybe fifty upperclassmen going for their field exams soon, another thirty upperclassmen who aren't, and probably two hundred of us junior classmen."

Zone fished for a pad and a pencil and began to write this down from his position on the floor. "So almost three hundred potential SeeDs for Ellone in the next few years. Not good, eh?"

"Who's teaching all you guys?" Watts asked.

"Well, the only Instructor from before that's still around is Aki. And then there's Xu, and Nida was promoted as an instructor. Sometimes they'll use SeeDs who just graduated as assistants, and sometimes Kiros and Ward take us out for field practice." Seaton said, finishing his soup and grabbing his plate of pasta.

"What's Squall up to these days?" Zone asked curiously.

"He's sort of taken over headmastership because Cid's gone, but he mostly still acts as the commander. He's always in a bad mood, I don't like being too close to him." Gale said, almost embarrassed. "He fights a lot with Ellone."

Watts raised his eyebrow at that. "Interesting. Tell me everything you know about Ellone's future plans."

Seaton spat out some of his food laughing. "We're just junior classmen. They don't tell us anything, we're just supposed to follow orders."

Gale nodded. "That's true."

"You said Squall fights a lot with Ellone, but does the rest of Garden support her fully?" Watts asked.

"I'd say so," Gale replied. "Especially the upperclassmen. Ellone's pretty strict on loyalty."

Seaton grinned. "I guess you're lucky we're junior classmen."

"Indeed." Watts looked at them for a moment, and decided they were telling him the truth. "Well, we're off then. Someone will bring you food in the morning."

Zone stood up weakly and stuck the notepad into his pocket. "Probably me." He said, and they both left, unmistakably locking the door behind them.

Seaton looked at Gale and raised his glass of juice towards her. "Cheers."

> > >

_He saw her._

_She was dressed in white, her eyes were shining and her usually pale cheeks glowed pink. "Swear to be my knight."_

_He stepped forward to her, reaching out. She danced back to avoid his touch. His lips moved to say her name, but there was no sound. _

_She didn't seem to notice. "Swear it again," she said, laughing with joy._

_He wanted to, and he tried, but he had no voice. _

_Again she seemed not to notice he could not speak, but now she moved forwards and held his face in both of her hands. With sudden dread he realized she was looking past him. All thoughts of this fled his mind when she pressed herself against him, like in the old days. Her head was nestled under his chin. "Don't ever leave me," she whispered._

_She looked back up to him and kissed him, and he foolishly dropped all his worries to kiss her back with his old passion and fervor. Her familiar scent made him heady as he traced the familiar line of her back with his hands._

_Suddenly, he felt as he was forcibly shoved out of his own body and made to watch the scene before him. It wasn't himself embracing her any longer, but a solid shadow without a face. The shadow changed with a burst of color, and he saw Seifer reaching down to touch her face._

_Another burst of color and light, and Seifer was replaced by Irvine, who had her back against a wall, her face full of ardor._

_He kept calling her name, but she couldn't hear him._

_ > > >_

Squall jolted upright in his bed, breathing hard. He did not just dream of her. He hadn't for years now, not like that. The worst part of it was that it felt real. He could still feel her skin as she pressed up against him, heating up his blood. He let his head drop to his knees, willing his desire for her to subside.

He wanted her. Squall hastily pushed that thought away and instead focused on the second half of the dream angrily. Seifer and Irvine! She must have asked those bloody fools to be her knight. Ellone was right, she probably bewitched the stupid bastards.

He couldn't fight the rising jealously. "I'm her knight," he muttered, and threw a pillow at his lamp in frustration. It shattered, sending the porcelain pieces flying. What was wrong with him? He didn't want to be her knight anymore. So why the envy?

All the dream did was confirm Rinoa's faithlessness to him. He was probably channeling more of her emotions through the dream. Squall growled and tried to shake his head clear. He stood up from his bed, suddenly aware of the cold sweat he had broken out into, and moved to stand on his balcony.

There was somebody already there. Squall felt his hair rise up in anger. The last thing he wanted right now was an intruder. It was a dark cloaked figure, and for an instant, he was reminded of the faceless shadow in his dream.

"Go away," he said to it coldly. "You're trespassing."

"Make an exception for an old friend."

Squall recognized the voice instantly. "So much for your pacifism, Quistis."

She stepped into his room and lowered her hood. "No one knows I'm here. I'm not declaring sides." She undid the cloak and draped it over a chair.

Squall shrugged. "Keep your coat on, you're not staying here."

Quistis took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I don't care Squall. I traveled quite a while to see you, and the least you could do is be courteous to me."

"And the least you could have done was inform me that you were coming." He shot back.

"Right, and have you reject my visit." Quistis said. "Squall, I just wanted to see if you were okay." She stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

He pushed her off. "I'm fine, now go away."

"You were dreaming about Rinoa. I heard you say her name."

Squall turned to face her and rounded on her. "So what if I was? It's – "

"None of my business." Quistis interrupted, smiling. "I know. Do you miss her?"

He turned away from her. He was trying to figure out why Quistis had returned. There had to be a better reason than just to see him. And why was she baiting him like this? "Shut up, instructor." He said under his breath. Squall could feel her eyes on him. "Seriously Quistis, get the hell away from here. I don't want to deal with you."

For the first time that night, he detected anger on her face. "I don't believe you Squall! The minute someone shows concern for you, you throw it back in their faces! To think, I was stupid enough to believe you would want to see me after all this time." She sniffed and swiped at her eyes.

Squall wasn't sure if he felt remorseful or even more aggravated. "Hell Quistis, don't cry," he said awkwardly. Weeping, she threw her arms around him. Squall shifted uncomfortably as her tears wet his bare shoulder. The only other woman who had ever gotten this close to him was Rinoa. She was the only other woman he let get this close.

"Squall?"

He looked down at Quistis absently, his thoughts swirling around Rinoa, and she swiftly brushed her lips against his. Squall recoiled and pushed her away, staring disbelieving at her. "What do you think you're doing?"

Quistis looked at him helplessly. "I just thought…after so long…I can help you forget her."

This surprised and disgusted him at the same time. "No, thank you." He said bitingly.

"Come on, Squall, when have you gotten so high and mighty on morals?" She snapped, losing her temper.

"And since when have you lost all your morals?" Squall shot back.

Quistis shrugged.

Squall laughed humorlessly. "I get it. You came here so we could be fuck buddies. Great plan, Quistis. That'll really make me forget her." He ran his fingers through his hair wildly. "Let's give it a shot, shall we?" In an instant, he had pulled Quistis back to him and planted his lips on hers. He discovered distastefully that Quistis was still quite willing as she slid her tongue into his mouth.

Heatedly, he pushed her down into his bed and pulled up her skirt. Amidst her moans, Squall reflected that he if shut his eyes, he could almost pretend that she wasRinoa.

> > >

Irvine was studiously ignoring Seifer's stare as he pored over an atlas of the world. He was sure Seifer was wildly curious about what went on between himself and Rinoa, and his instincts were proved right a moment later.

"Did Rinoa say anything to you?" Seifer asked casually, playing with Hyperion.

Irvine's forced himself to keep a straight face. "Like what?"

"Stuff." Seifer stopped swinging his gunblade. "About me, maybe."

"No need to get so self-centered," Irvine said. "She told me about you being her knight, but I figured it would have happened, sooner or later." He couldn't help the jubilant grin that began to spread across his cheeks.

"And you're that happy for me?" Seifer asked dryly, raising his eyebrows.

Irvine turned back down to his maps. "Of course. No one better than you, right?"

"Of course," Seifer repeated suspiciously. "What else did she say to you?"

Irvine pointed his maps. "She's decided I'm to go to Esthar. Collecting information, checking the public perception, seeing if there's anything useful we can get." His face darkened. "And getting rid of Odine, of course. There's a troublemaker for Rinoa if I ever saw one. There's no need to pry, Seifer, it's not like we discussed your death."

Seifer chuckled. "Right. Anyway, I'm off to check up with the soldiers who got back from Caraway. Will I see you before you get to Esthar?"

"Depends when the plane's ready for me." Irvine looked up from his map to Seifer. "Take care of her when I'm gone, alright?"

"Of course." Seifer tipped an imaginary hat to Irvine and left his room.

What really occured was that he declined Rinoa's offer. Irvine wanted it badly, but realized that Seifer had always been much more adept controllingSorceress inside of herthan himself. And if it was better for Rinoa to have Seifer has her knight, thenIrvine could step back with grace.

Now Irvine knew where he stood with her, and he was satisfied with the knowledge. That was all he needed, the reassurance that Rinoa depended on him so deeply. He suggested that he take a trip to Esthar, to save them both from the awkwardness and embarrassment that would have followed.

She agreed reluctantly, only after he promised to return as soon as possible. Irvine stood up and moved towards a large chest he kept at the foot of his bed. He opened it and began selecting the ammunition he wanted for the trip. After a moment of grim reflection, he grabbed around of dark ammo, just in case.

There was a knock on the door and Watts popped his head in. "The plane technicians dudes asked me to tell you that the plane for your trip was ready."

Irvine leaned his gun against his shoulder, tapping the side of his head with it. "I'm off, then." They both stepped out as Irvine locked the door. "By the way, did you get anything interesting off those kids?"

Watts shrugged. "Nothing we couldn't assume for ourselves, but we did get specific numbers on SeeDs. And Squall and Ellone have some sibling rivalry they need to deal with, but that's all. Rinoa's hell bent on converting these kids."

"That's probably a good idea," Irvine mused. "Send them in to spy for us after we get Fujin back."

"Well, have a good trip in Esthar, sir." Watts said, thumping his shoulder. "I'll tell Rinoa you've left."

> > >

To be continued….

A/N: Well, this did feel like a bit of a slightly shorter chapter, but I had to slice it up that way. If I added in the next section, the chapter would have been too long….anyhoo, same as always, give me a week, and I'll give you a chapter! Thanks for reading, and I love reviews, they keep me healthy and motivated!


	10. In Which a Sacrifice is Made

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and all it's places and monsters and characters are not mine. I suppose Gale and Seaton are mine. But that is all.

A/N: Important notice today, but that'll come when you're done reading. Don't want to distract you or anything.

Chapter 10: In Which a Sacrifice is Made

> > >

Fujin's face was sticky. She wasn't sure why, but it was annoying her. She tried to wipe her face with her hands, but found that she couldn't. Her eyes flew open, suddenly remembering her circumstances.

After the battle at Caraway's, Laguna had taken her to the Ragnarok and chained her in the holding area under the baleful eyes of the students. Then they started flying, presumably back to Balamb, until they got caught in something. The plane was jolting everywhere, and they could hear gunfire outside. Then came a great final shove, it felt like, and the Ragnarok overturned in the air. It sent things flying through the holding area, and the students at least had the luxury of ducking and shielding themselves. Fujin, on the other hand, had her wrists chained to a pipe and was flung around, crashing into the wall and then back onto the bench again.

It explained why she felt sticky. There was blood running down her face, and she was pretty sure she had broken another one of her ribs. The Ragnarok was still now, although everyone in the holding area was either unconscious or dead. She couldn't tell from where she was.

Wincing, Fujin stood up to peep through a window. It was dark out, and she couldn't make out much of the landscape. So much for that. She sat back down painfully, wondering if Laguna and Selphie were alive. If not, she was probably dead too, because there would be nobody else to unlock the chains.

She needn't have worried, because she soon heard their voices approaching.

"…don't understand how they could all just attack us like that. The Ragnarok!" Laguna sounded incredulous, almost offended.

"The Ragnarok could have handled everything except that last Thrustaevis. That thing was bigger than us!" Selphie said, worried. "I don't know where they came from, or how so many of them just gathered like that."

"I hope the kids are okay…" He said as they turned the corner and arrived in the holding area. Their eyes immediately landed on Fujin, the only upright body in the area besides themselves.

"NOT DEAD YET." Fujin said, a little ironically. She could see that Laguna and Selphie were pretty beaten up as well. Laguna sported a nasty cut down his arm, and it was still bleeding profusely. At least he had the sense to hold it to try to stem the flow, but it wasn't very successful. Selphie's legs were covered in ugly bruises, some raised and yellow. She was stepping gingerly on her left foot, and Fujin guessed she had sprained that ankle.

"You look terrible." Laguna announced, fishing in his pocket. He produced the key to Fujin's chains. "I'm going to let you out, so we can try to patch ourselves up, but don't try running."

"BROKEN RIBS. CAN'T RUN." Fujin said, turning to look at Selphie who was staring at her with dislike.

"I say we leave her, Laguna." Selphie said, not bothering to lower her voice. "I mean, she is with the enemy."

Laguna shook his head. "And right now, there's only the three of us conscious, with who knows what else out there, waiting to eat us. Go find the first aid kit, will you, I keep bleeding all over the place."

Selphie stalked off to the storage room, limping badly, her face pale and stormy.

He unlocked the chains from Fujin's wrists, who immediately wiped her face on her sleeve. A cut on her forehead was the culprit for the blood. Selphie returned a moment later, lugging a large yellow box. She opened it and grabbed bandages, before sitting next to Laguna and dressing his arm. Next she bound her left foot tightly, and stood up to test her weight on it.

"Much better," she announced.

"Fujin's ribs, now." Laguna said, turning pointedly to Selphie. "She can't do it by herself."

Selphie clicked her tongue impatiently. "Why don't you do it, Laguna, I'm going back to the cockpit to try to radio back." She tossed him a large roll of bandages.

Laguna caught it and shrugged at Fujin. "She's not normally like this, you know. The whole war was a terrible blow to her, especially losing Irvine like that, so you can't blame her for the attitude. Lift up your shirt."

Fujin glared at him silently.

He rolled his eyes. "Just roll it up, I'm not going to take photos and sell them to the Girl Next Door, alright?"

She relented and lifted her shirt. Laguna began to tightly wind the bandages around here middle, fastening it with a hook. Fujin stood up gingerly and raised her arms. "BETTER. THANKS." She said.

Laguna accepted that with a nod, and began to check up on the students. Feeling out of place, Fujin went over and began checking for pulses as well. "NONE DEAD HERE." She announced.

"None here either." Laguna said. "Guess we were lucky."

"You wish," Selphie called dryly as she returned and heard him. "Ellone just wired back to us. You're not going to believe what we're supposed to do."

"Hit me." Laguna said wearily, sitting down.

"We're supposed to stick the kids at Timber, and Garden will send out boats for them. She wants us to take Horizon bridge to Esthar." Selphie said furiously. "And I told her about monsters going crazy, but she wouldn't listen. They're bringing a car for us on the boat."

"Why does she want us to go the Esthar?" Laguna asked curiously.

Selphie looked towards Fujin for a moment, and decided she was in no condition to escape and make it back to Deling. "Apparently, Dr. Odine finished some sort of restraints for the sorceress. They're supposed to be immensely powerful, and only have to be in a certain range of her to take effect. She wants us to pick it up for her."

Laguna looked troubled. "I don't like the sound of that…but I guess I can check up on things while we're there. Did she say anything about Fujin?"

"She's to go with the kids back to Garden for questioning." Selphie said, just satisfied that Fujin would be off their hands.

> > >

The dawn didn't seem to be dawn at all. The sunrise was weak at best, sending a few wisps of light across the otherwise grey sky. The ominous clouds had not left since the storm, but instead remained, a dismal and foreboding presence.

Rinoa shivered and pulled out a cloak from her wardrobe. Her skin prickled, it felt like she was on fire. She felt something in the air raise the hair on the back of her neck. As she fastened the blue cloak around her shoulders, Zone arrived with Gale. He motioned for her to sit in a chair, and she quickly obeyed, darting nervous glances around the room. Rinoa observed her for a moment. She was now dressed in a skirt and jumper, for if she and Seaton continued to remain in their SeeD uniform, the soldiers would have mauled them by now. Gale's dark eyes scanned the room, marking the windows and exits. She felt Rinoa's eyes on her and blushed.

"Sorry," Gale said faintly. "SeeD training, I can't help it sometimes."

Rinoa turned away from the girl. She had the oddest sensation at the top of her head, like she was floating. She looked back at Gale. "That's understandable. Now, I hear that you and Seaton aren't so keen on Ellone anymore."

Gale shrugged. "I never really was. I just wanted to become a SeeD, see, and going to Balamb Garden was the only way to do it, since Trabia and Galbadia Garden shut down. Squall was alright though. He never really yelled at us the way Ellone did. He mostly yelled at her." She suddenly remembered who she was talking to and ducked her head, afraid of Rinoa's reaction.

She remained composed, if not a bit pale. "They've been having problems from before the whole war. I suppose it just magnified." Rinoa clutched the sides of her cloak until her knuckles turned white. She wanted to vomit. Something was wrong. She struggled to stay calm. "I'll be frank about this. I wanted to talk to you because I want you and Seaton to join us."

"Why isn't Seaton here, then?" Gale asked curiously.

"It seems like he has some reservations about deserting Ellone, and he's more difficult to read," Rinoa said, biting her lip to quell the sickness she was feeling. "I'm sure you could convince him. I wanted to talk to you first because I think we can trust you. We'd train you with guardian forces and magic, the way older SeeDs have been trained."

Gale smiled widely. "I'd love that!"

Rinoa nodded and went to stand by the window, leaning against the window sill queasily. She pressed her fingers to her temples, her lips a thin line of pain. "Send for Seifer, will you?" she managed to say. Gale quickly darted out. It was not an attack, she knew, because she wasn't losing control over herself. Her head throbbed painfully and nausea overwhelmed her. She looked outside.

The sky had gone a darker slate gray, and there were flashes of lighting. Rinoa couldn't hear the rumbles of thunder that should have followed. Something was wrong. A cloud of dust had risen and was traveling towards them at a unnatural speed. She looked intently at it and felt faint. It was so close now….

The door banged open and Seifer strode in, his coat flapping and his gunblade tightly in his hand. Gale followed behind him.

"Seifer, look at this." Rinoa said, raising a hand to her mouth, her eyes dull with dread. "I think it's making me sick. I think it has something to do with me."

He moved to stand by her, placing an arm over her shoulder to support her. Seifer's eyes widened in disbelief. "No," he said vehemently. "It's not you. It can't be you. We have to evacuate."

"There was no warning…." Rinoa said faintly. She then steeled herself. "Send a message out over the PA. I want everyone out of here, and have them notify anyone they come across in town. We'll regroup by the Tomb of the Unknown King and decide what to do there." Hastily, she dug through a storage chest in the corner of her room and found her old pinwheel, and also fastened a sword at her waist.

"I don't want to leave you," Seifer said, as the three of them left her room and hurried down the hall to the stairs.

"Go, and be quick." Rinoa said. "Gale will watch over me." As they passed the room they used as an armory, Rinoa quickly stepped in to retrieve Gale's whip and Seaton's sword. She thrust these to Gale. "Give that back to Seaton when we meet up later." She said.

They reached the stairwell. "Be careful," Seifer said, giving Gale a hard look. "You make sure Rinoa's alright, or I'll have your head. I'll see you two soon." He disappeared up the stairs.

"Hurry," Rinoa said to Gale, running down the stairs. "We have to move quickly."

"What is it?" Gale panted, trying to keep up.

"I'm not sure…it looked like an army of monsters headed this way. There must have been thousands of them, it looked like a solid wall. I don't know how they could have swarmed like that…we can't take them on." Rinoa said as they reached the main floor. She shuddered. "They're not normal, either. They're giants of their species, and all grey and black…"

The PA suddenly came to life with Seifer's voice, loud and confident, but Rinoa detected the undercurrent of alarm in his voice. "Everyone is to evacuate the city immediately. I repeat, we must evacuate the city. Take your weapons and leave. We are under sudden attack by an unknown monster force. Leave immediately and make for the Tomb of the Unknown King. Inform any civilians of the evacuation on the way out."

Gale seized Rinoa's wrist and dragged her out of the hotel. "Let's go!" They darted into the street and down the shopping lane. She suddenly shrieked and she fell onto the street. A shadowy hand had grabbed her by the ankle and was dragging Gale towards the sewer.

"It's a Creep!" Rinoa shouted, drawing her sword and hacking at the black ghostly hand. It hissed violently but let Gale go, leaving painful red welts were it grabbed her. Rinoa pulled her to her feet and they continued to run. "I knew the sewers were infested, but I always thought they would stay below ground…this is bad."

They reached the entrance of the city. Rinoa shot a glance at Gale. "Once we're outside, we've left the protection of the city walls, and monsters can attack us freely. It won't be just the one."

"But…how are we supposed to fight?" Gale asked, nervously wondering if it was better to stay in the city.

"Magic, of course."

> > >

Edea and Cid stood side by side on their beach, watching the increasingly large waves form and break upon the shore. The gray sky cast an eerie glow upon the water, turning it dark and muddy looking.

"Do you think it was the right decision?" Cid ventured.

She clasped his hand. "I don't know, darling." Edea's sheet of dark hair fell across her face as she bowed her head. "I wish I did."

They took a step back together to avoid getting wet, just as great wave crashed upon the beach. Cid reached out and tucked Edea's hair behind her ears gently. "We had to act."

"I know, I just hope they won't be angry with me." She turned her face back, away from the beach, past her house, towards the direction of Centra. "I never thought it would happen again in my lifetime, you know. I always thought that after Ultimecia, everything would be alright. "

Involuntarily, Cid felt a shiver run down his back. "It's not Rinoa's doing, is it?"

Edea shot him a stern glance. "Of course not. Not intentionally, and not knowingly. She's doing the best she can under the circumstances."

"But it is Rinoa, even if it's unintentional?"

Her face fell, and her eyes darkened. "I'm not sure, but this is what I think is happening. The Lunatic Pandora was supposed to control the lunar cry, but now that it's gone, there is no focal point…except herself."

"What?" Cid exclaimed, horrorstruck. "Why?"

"The crystal pillar in the Lunatic Pandora was supposed to be powerfully magical, and now that it's gone, Rinoa is the next best thing…which I guess is Ellone's basis for her ban on magic." Edea said quietly. "But Rinoa's not powerful enough to centralize the lunar cry, and that's why it's happening everywhere now..."

"But you've just sent - "

"I know, but there were reasons for it. The monsters that normally fall from the moon are manageable, but do you remember that monstrous Grand Mantis you ran into yesterday?"

Cid nodded jerkily. "Never seen anything like that in my life."

"Either they are reacting badly to the absence of the crystal pillar, or the crystal pillar used to control the size and power of the monsters." Edea said. "I don't know which it is."

"It's about the same thing in the end." Cid said bluntly. "What are we going to do?"

Edea managed to smile, despite the tears growing in her eyes. "Wait and see what happens. It's all we can do now."

> > >

To be continued…

Now, a nice reviewer of mine, Sunday1, has suggested Ipost longer chapters. I'm perfectly amicable to the idea, I just need a general response from you guys to see what you prefer. As it is, I promise to get the next chapter up within a week, but it usually doesn't take more than 3-4 days. Longer chapters will mean longer times between chapters. The timeframe I'll promise you is still 'within a week', but really, this time, it may be the full 7 days. (Right now, each chapter is about 5 MS Word pages, a longer chapter will be 7-8. I don't want massive chapters happening, it'll probably just bore you.)

So drop me a review, tell me which you would prefer, and I'll go with the majority decision. Thanks for reading!


	11. In Which They are Perplexed

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me.

A/N: Read first, notes later. Enjoy!

Chapter 11: In Which They are Perplexed

> > >

Squall woke up with a start, and his heart was pounding painfully. He had a terrible feeling that something was wrong. The hairs on the back of his next prickled, and his eyes watered at an acrid smell in the air. He glanced down at the pale arm that was draped across his bare chest. He removed Quistis's arm as gently as he could without shoving her off the bed, and began to look for his clothes.

He had just pulled on his pants when he heard a yawn. Squall cringed. He had hoped to get out of there before she woke up.

"Good morning," she said sleepily.

Squall ignored her and marched to his closet to put on a clean shirt. He put on his worn old coat, and after a moment's hesitation, picked up his gunblade. He strode to the door, deliberately ignoring Quistis's eyes.

Quistis had become more alert. "Squall? Where are you going?"

He paused for a moment by the door. "To work." Squall looked up to meet her eyes coldly. "I want you out of here by the time I come back."

Quistis froze, struggling to hide the shock on her face. "What do you mean? I thought - "

Squall cut her off. "You can't help me, not the way you want to. Furthermore, I don't need help, and I have never asked for help. So do yourself a favor and fuck off, and go tell Ellone to do the same." He stepped through the door and slammed it behind him, glimpsing Quistis stunned expression with macabre satisfaction.

As he walked down the hallway towards his office, the burning smell he had detected that morning returned even stronger. Squall felt an intense tug at his mind, and he stumbled against a wall. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he tried to get his guardian forces under control. They must have sensed powerful magic to strain against him like that.

He argued with himself that everyone in Balamb was forbidden to use magic, and only himself, Laguna, and Selphie actually had stores hidden away. Laguna and Selphie were away, and he had certainly not used magic since the curaga. There was no one close enough to cause such an uprising with the guardian forces.

Resignedly, Squall concluded that wherever she was, Rinoa was using magic. It surprised him, since she had restricted her own magic use, afraid that she would lose control and start firing random spells. He was intensely curious, and the animosity he felt towards her had dimmed somewhat as it was now aimed at Quistis and Ellone.

When Squall reached his office, he ignored the waiting reports on his desk and locked the door behind him. He pulled the phone off the hook so he wouldn't be interrupted, and sat down.

Slowly, in his mind, he began to loosen the wall he set up against Rinoa, noting bleakly that he since he still had full access to her psyche, Irvine or Seifer had not become her knight just yet. Squall had kept this a fierce secret from everybody, even Edea, that he was able to see and feel so much of her doings when he tried. He had no doubt Rinoa could as well, and he sure as hell that he didn't want Ellone to find out.

His senses were suddenly assaulted by a barrage of images and sounds. Squall steadied his breathing and shaking hands, and reviewed them again slowly. He had seen things through her eyes, and it frightened him. Where was she? She was screaming at a vaguely familiar girl, pleading her to wake up, and her hands were outstretched in front of them, creating a barrier of fire around them. At least six behemoths were launching themselves against the barrier. This struck Squall as odd; behemoths just weren't found in Galbadia.

It explained the smell, however, because their flesh had begun to burn as their continually rammed themselves against the fire. Why didn't they stop? Squall watched them intently, and realized that they were absolutely rabid, with a crazed look in their eyes. He noted with rising trepidation that the behemoths were a strange black color and were at least twice their normal size.

Squall let the vision go and swallowed hard. He had a decision to make. All his instincts told him to do one thing, but his mind argued against it fiercely. Wearily, he replaced the phone back on the hook and pulled his paperwork towards himself.

> > >

Irvine slid out of the cockpit and onto the hard ground. His flight to Esthar had been uneventful if not tiring. He was surprised when he was given clearance to land at the air station, especially since the world knew he was allied with Rinoa. Irvine suspected that Laguna was more a pacifist deep down than Mayor Dobe.

Shouldering his gun and a small bag with his belongings, Irvine began to walk towards the shopping arcade, looking for a hotel he could stay in. He deliberately ignored the main Esthar hotel; it contained too many painful memories of himself and Selphie spending a weekend there. Besides, he wasn't here to vacation. Irvine walked into a smaller, seedier looking motel a half block down from the shopping arcade.

Irvine waited for his eyes to adjust to the dimness before approaching the counter. "I'd like a room, please."

The girl at the counter eyed him interestedly. "For how long?"

"A week." He deliberately looked away from her to a TV, where the evening news was being read. There was no use in being recognized by civilians early on.

"You're name, sir?"

Irvine pulled out his wallet. "How about I pay you double for the room, and we skip my name?" He pushed a stack of gil at her and smiled charmingly.

She shrugged. "Whatever you want." She passed him a key. "Your room's on the fifth floor."

Irvine didn't hear her. His eyes remained fixed on the television screen, where the pictured had changed to a short man shouting and waving his arms about. "What's going on with Doc Odine these days?"

She rolled her eyes. "He's been babbling nonsense about the Lunar cry and the sorceress for some time now. It's a wonder they actually let him on the news."

"Turn the volume up." Irvine commanded.

"…ze barrier is ze only thing keeping ze city safe! No one is believing vat I am telling you, but oh ho, when ze barrier breaks, everyone vill be sorry, they vill cry and run to Doc Odine and say, save us, ve are helpless, but I tell you, it vill be too late!"

Irvine took his key thoughtfully and made his way to his room. After setting his things down, he pushed the curtains aside and stared out towards the edge of the city where the blue barrier was visible. He stared hard at it and squinted, but couldn't detect any apparent weakness in it. What did Odine mean? The lunar cry just occurred before the war started, it couldn't possibly happen again so soon.

He went to his bag and unpacked a picture frame and set it next to his bed. On one side of his, Selphie had her arms thrown around his neck and was grinning happily. On his other side was Squall and Rinoa, who both appeared to be disturbed by something. This was taken only two weeks before Zell's death, and he knew they had been arguing constantly.

He missed Selphie badly. She was too stubborn and refused to believe him and Rinoa. In the end, he was torn between Selphie and Rinoa, and no matter how much he had wanted to stay with her, he couldn't ignore what he knew was true. In the beginning, he had tried his hardest to persuade her to join him, but Selphie kept insisting that she was right, that she had seen the truth. In came down to an ultimatum – come back or it's over. He had to choose Rinoa, but he couldn't resent her for it. Rinoa would have freely let him return at any time, but he had heard what Ellone had become and had to stay.

A blaze of anger took over Irvine, and he flung the frame at the wall, hearing the tinkle of broken glass with satisfaction. He was sick and tired of this.

> > >

The pain in her leg was really bugging her, but Selphie just gritted her teeth and bore it as the last of the students filed onto the ship headed back for Balamb. Fujin briefly glanced at her, as if she knew what was going on in Selphie's head. Selphie scowled at her and straightened her posture, even though the pain was excruciating and she saw black for a moment.

"On the ship," Selphie snapped at her, ignoring Laguna's reprimanding look. Fujin shrugged and sauntered onto the ship without a backwards glance.

Xu stepped out of the ship and looked around and Selphie and Laguna and smiled. "Hey guys, I've got the car Ellone promised you."

As much as she respected Xu, Selphie had to fake enthusiasm. "That's really…great." She said halfheartedly. "Thanks a lot."

Laguna watched a SeeD cadet carefully drive the car down the plank and into the harbor. "Any other news from the boss?"

"Nothing." Xu said, a little apologetically. She knew it would have meant a lot for Laguna even if Ellone told them to have a good trip, sincere or not. The SeeD hopped out of the car and passed her the keys. "Back on the ship, we'll be departing soon. Keep an eye on the prisoner." She said to him.

Selphie took the keys. "Xu…did you see anything…er, strange on the way here? Like, monsters?"

She looked surprised. "No, it was a easy trip here. Why?"

Laguna glanced sideways at Selphie. "Just keep an eye out, okay?"

"Will do." Xu saluted in the SeeD fashion and boarded the ship, waving to them. Selphie waved back to her until the ships left the harbor and they couldn't see her face any longer. She promptly transferred all her weight back to her good leg and groaned.

"Is it really that bad, Selphie?" Laguna asked, raising his eyebrows.

She looked down at her keys and doggedly began to limp towards the car. "I'll be okay." She slid into the driver's seat, ignoring Laguna's questioning look. "I don't need my left leg to drive."

Laguna buckled his seat belt as Selphie turned the key in the ignition and began to reverse out of the harbor. He gingerly placed his injured arm on the armrest, and waited until they were out of Balamb before he began to talk again. He knew he was going to tread on dangerous ground, and there was no point in creating a fuss in the middle of a town. "You know, in the old days, our injuries would have healed by now."

Selphie gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Magic is forbidden now." She kept her eyes straight ahead.

"By Ellone, yes." Laguna said. "But there's no large regulating body who can act as the law now. Neither Ellone nor … the sorceress is powerful enough to try and set up state here. Ellone can only tell her people what to do. Do you really think the people in Shumi Village are going without magic, especially with all the strange monsters about?"

Selphie eyes slid from the road and lingered briefly at Laguna's eyes, before she looked back. "I'm a SeeD. And Ellone has given me certain instructions, one of them being that I can't use magic. I can't go back on it."

"Fair enough." Laguna replied, leaning back into his seat comfortably.

She was surprised. "That's it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you'd normally go off into this long speech and end up convincing me to do whatever you want to do." Selphie pointed out.

Laguna shrugged and pushed back his hair. "I want you to use curaga and fix that leg. We'll have problems fighting if you can't stand properly. Fixing my arm wouldn't be a bad idea either. But obviously, you're so loyal to Ellone you won't do it."

Selphie slammed on the brakes indignantly, sending Laguna flying forwards. He landed on his bad arm and winced. "It's not about Ellone. I know you feel bad for her and need to take care of her, but I frankly think she's a psychopath! Back when this first started, she told me some things about magic that makes sense. We draw our magic from monsters, who fall from the moon because of the lunar cry. We all know the sorceress is connected to all this…and…this'll sound stupid…but I thought if I stopped using magic and my guardian forces, I could distance myself from her and everything that had happened. I know what she did, and I can't forgive her for it."

"I think you're just being stubborn. I don't think Rinoa would even know you're trying to spite her that way." Laguna said.

She rounded on him angrily and twisted in her seat to face him. "That's not the point! I'm doing this for Zell! He died because there was an excess of magic in Rinoa that she couldn't control. Sorceress or not, that's the basic truth of it. There was too much magic in her!"

Laguna caught her flailing arms. "Calm down, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to understand you." He studied her intently for a moment. "So you wouldn't mind if I used magic on us, then?"

Selphie had to look away from his gaze, embarrassed for some reason. Losing her cool in front of Laguna made her feel juvenile. "No, you go ahead. I won't tell Ellone. You first, though."

Laguna placed his left hand over his injured arm and muttered the spell for curaga. Instantly, the dull ache in his arm was reduced to almost nothing, and he sighed in relief. "Your turn."

Selphie unbuckled her own seat belt and self-consciously twisted in her seat so she could place her legs on Laguna's lap. He pulled off her left boot and clucked when he saw her swollen and bruised ankle. Lightly, he placed his warm hand on it. Selphie shivered as the familiar healing sensation surrounded her, soothing her frazzled nerves. "It's worse than we thought," she heard him say from faraway. "Once more." The pleasant feelings continued for a moment, then abruptly stopped. She felt no pain in her leg, and opened her eyes to thank Laguna.

They stared at each other for a moment, not uncomfortably, but she could feel a rising sort of tension. Selphie swallowed hard, unsure if she liked the feeling or not. "We're not going to, uh, - " she bit her lip.

"Of course not." Laguna replied quickly, averting his eyes. "We're okay."

Selphie collected her legs from his lap and slid them back under the steering wheel. "We're okay," she repeated breathlessly, and began to drive over Horizon bridge.

> > >

Seifer was sure the hotel was clear, but he was having a hard time of getting out himself. The monsters much have reached the edge of town, as the lights had flickered and died seconds ago. He held on tightly to his panic as he reached the stairwell and began taking the stairs three at a time.

Mentally, he began to run through the list of people that Rinoa had to know were safe, at all costs. Zone and Watts, Rajin, Seaton, and Irvine was away. "That just leaves me." Seifer said aloud, grimly weighing his odds.

He ran through the lobby and pushed his way through the heavy double doors and onto the street. Deling looked like it had been evacuated, and he had no doubt Caraway had already taken a helicopter out.

A cold rain began to fall from the almost black sky, and Seifer instinctively looked up. He thought he saw a darker spot in the thunderclouds, but he shrugged it off. There were more important things he had to deal with. He continued to run down the shopping arcade, dodging the creeps that were emerging from the sewers. He froze when he reached the city's entrance. Outside, it was infested with monsters lurking around the fields, prowling and even fighting each other.

He had never seen anything like this before. Monsters just didn't appear this often, ever. Praying that Rinoa was alright, he summoned Doomtrain in a flash of light. His guardian force waited next to him for instructions. Seifer looked up at it. "I need you to charge and clear a path for me behind you, all the way to the Tomb of the Unknown King. Ready?"

Doomtrain shot off, colliding with the monsters and sending them flying. Seifer followed in it's wake, thankful that the monsters were poisoned. He had the nasty feeling physical attacks wouldn't do much to this lot. His lungs were burning, it was a long run and he was tired. He had to stop soon, but he was more than halfway there already.

A thin line of sweat slid down the side of his face, mixing with the freezing cold rain water. He shivered and panted, unsure if he was hot or cold. Seifer resigned himself to stopping and fighting. Abruptly, he stopped and turned around, raising Hyperion. Doomtrain stopped and returned to him, satisfied it saw action.

Suddenly, though the darkness, he saw a pair of headlights. Seifer squinted to see what it was, but several black Belehelmels swooped in from above him. He immediately lunged at the one directly in front of him, plunging Hyperion directly into it's middle and twisting the blade before triggering. Once he was sure it was dead, he pulled the blade out and spun to face the other three behind him. There was no time to attack them individually, they were looming closer and appeared to be gleeful. Angry, Seifer cast Meteor on the lot of them.

When they all fell to the ground, unconscious, Seifer shook the icy water from his hair and stabbed each of them in the face, to make sure they stayed down. The vehicle with the headlights had almost reached him, and he raised his arm to shield his eyes from the light.

"No fucking way…"

> > >

To be continued…

Well, I have to say, I've been getting some very encouraging reviews lately. Now, I think there was a bit of a longer gap between the last chapter and this one, and I'm very sorry for it, I've just been extremely busy.

I've also decided to keep the length of my chapters, although this one is a tad longer than normal. Just a teeny bit. (I'm terribly sorry, Sunday1, the majority voted that way!).

Now to answer some questions:

There will be Rinoa/Squall interaction.

I was very very unsure how to do the whole magic/GF/limit break things, and although I will, I will be treading in that area very carefully. As you may have noticed, I have mentioned GFs in previous chapters, and I actually brought one out here….but I will be treading very very carefully.

To KyuuketsukiShounen, I'm still mortally afraid that I am going to use deathly simply clichés without realizing it. And sometimes I think that I have, but people just haven't caught on….

To DariusFF, you made me grin stupidly and blush. Thanks for all kind words.

To ForestOwl, Houki, Funkee-Chickee, and Gracioustrust, my oh my, you've all been here for a long time, THANK YOU for your continual support.

Next chapter will be up in a week. As a special treat and in consideration to Sunday1, I will be experimenting with it and increasing it's length by a few scenes. (You'll have to forgive me if it takes a tiny bit longer, school will be starting next week and it will be hectic.)


	12. In Which There is a Meeting

The Second War

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII is in no way mine. I don't make any money from this, and god knows, I actually find this entertaining.

Notes: As always, read first, announcements later!

Chapter 12: In Which there is a Meeting

> > >

She hadn't been here in a long time, and despite herself, Ellone was nervous. She glanced at the silent Ward, who blinked at her questioningly. She had asked Ward to come with her because of his massive size, but despite that, she couldn't feel safe. Sighing, she turned the key in the elevator to the MD level.

Ellone felt herself become much colder as they plummeted lower. The heating down there must of failed, but it wouldn't bother them. It couldn't be fixed, either, because Ellone had forbidden everyone to descend to the MD level. If she wanted to fix the heating system, she'd have to kill the technicians afterwards. Ward was the exception since he wouldn't be able to speak of the things he would see there.

The elevator grinded to a stop, and the doors slid open slowly. Composing herself, Ellone stepped out, Ward trailing behind her.

"Good evening, Ellone." A faculty member stepped forward. She wished she could at least see his eyes, as his hood cast deep shadows on his face. If she could see his eyes, she could at least measure him up.

"Hello." She replied coldly. "Is Master Norg available?"

The faculty member turned his body towards Ward, who seemed taken aback by all this. Squall had evicted the faculty members years ago, and had taken steps against Norg regenerating from the egg like structure he had cocooned himself in. Well, it was apparent now that he wasn't very effective. "He may not stay."

Ellone narrowed her eyes. "He will stay, because I say he will stay. You may serve Norg now, but you still have to answer to me."

He gave a small bow of assent, and led them deeper into the room. Norg rested behind his repaired Norg pod, his oversized chin trembling malevolently. "ELLONE," he thundered. "HOW MUCH LONGER MUST I WAIT?"

"You will wait as long as you need to wait." Ellone said spitefully, ignoring the fact that Ward had started to back away.

"NEED I REMIND YOU THAT - "

"There's no need. I remember everything perfectly," She said, interrupting him. "I've been keeping my end of the deal, and I've done everything you asked me to."

"THEY WHY IS IT TAKING SEVEN YEARS?"

"There is greater resistance than originally planned." Ellone said simply, thinking of the unwillingness of Squall. "Now, you said you have new information for me?"

Norg gave a rumble of sour laughter. "I THINK YOU WILL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH."

"Then why did you send for me?" Ellone's voice was rising; she was going to lose her temper.

"TO GIVE YOU A WARNING. I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT MUCH LONGER. IF I LOSE MY PATIENCE…"

"You can't back out," Ellone said in a dangerous voice. "Without me, you wouldn't be here right now."

"AND WITHOUT ME, YOU WILL NOT BE GETTING WHAT YOU WANT THE MOST." Norg said smugly.

Ellone gasped in shock. "Are you threatening me?" she demanded. "Are you trying to threaten me, you ugly fuck? I'm going to tell you one more time, and you'd better listen closely. You wouldn't be around without me. You wouldn't be sitting there, with your sick faculty around you, and you wouldn't be even wearing those tattered robes that were once your fucking finest silks!"

"ENOUGH! WEREN'T YOU WONDERING WHY THE HEAT WAS BROKEN?" Norg asked calmly. The left norg pod began to spark and flash colours.

Ellone covered her mouth with her hand, stunned. " How can you draw magic from plain electrical current?" She shook her head in fury. "I've forbidden magic," she shouted. "And you're no exception!"

The pod turned red, and long strands of electricity darted out of it, wrapping itself around her like ropes. She screamed in pain as it flung her against the wall. She felt a thin line of blood trail from the side of her head. Ellone felt Ward's arms pick her up gently, but she kept her eyes shut in resentment and anger.

"I WILL NOT WAIT MUCH LONGER." Norg repeated balefully. "IF YOU DO NOT DELIVER SOON, I WILL EMERGE."

"Take me back, Ward." Ellone muttered. "I have many things to do tonight."

> > >

Gale was shivering violently in the rain, crossing her arms to try keep warm. Nearby, Rinoa was sitting down and leaning against the opening of the Tomb of the Unknown King, the hood of her cloak covering her face. Gale was more than a little anxious that nothing was attacking them, especially since Rinoa wasn't performing any magic. It meant there was something even worse here.

She hoped fervently Rinoa had some place to go, some backup plan in case of emergencies. As it was, things didn't look so promising, even with magic. Gale had never experienced anything like it in her life, and she wasn't sure if she was awed or frightened by it. Almost immediately after leaving Deling, several behemoths ambushed them. She knew how magic worked in theory, but Rinoa did some surprising tricks with firaga. A fire barrier just was not physically possible, Gale knew from the SeeD textbooks, but she supposed it was a sorceress trick.

Gale dropped her head to her knees and tried to forget how cold she was. She thought she was dreaming when she felt a spot of warmth grow by her hands, and she opened her eyes. Rinoa was controlling a little ball of fire, suspended between her hands.

Rinoa grinned at her, and Gale decided to voice her curiosity. "I thought fire magic could only be used offensively."

She looked thoughtful. "Well, generally speaking, but that's because you can only use one spell at a time, right?"

"I guess," Gale said, uncertain.

"I'm using two spells. I'm using my fire magic, then applying my second spell to the fire a split second after." Rinoa explained. "I'm not a sorceress for nothing, you know, it gives me a certain aptitude with magic. I've really had to train to do all this, and I've wrecked quite a few rooms before I figured out how to get the timing right. This is a combination of fire and float. Before, outside Deling, I used firaga and shell."

"Wow." Gale opened her mouth to speak further, but the little ball of flames suddenly disappeared and Rinoa jumped to her feet.

"They're here!" Rinoa exclaimed, looking relieved.

Gale got to her feet and saw that she was right. Through the heavy rain, she saw several cars driving towards them. She could make Zone and Watts leading the rest, and say Seaton and Rajin in a second car. She assumed the rest of the car contained members of Rinoa's faction who also managed to escape. Seifer was nowhere to be seen. Gale shot a look at Rinoa, who realized this and had a stricken expression on her face.

However, the look quickly disappeared and she jogged out to meet them, giving quick hugs to Zone and Watts once they were out of their cars.

"What's with the evacuation?" Zone asked, looking bewildered.

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Did you even bother to look back? There was this huge army of crazed monsters was about to overrun Deling. If I didn't call an evacuation, they would be eating you alive."

Zone paled and crouched swiftly.

"We did manage to collect supplies before we left. We have flashlights, food, tents, some clothes, extra weapons, and a few sets of communicators." Watts said, nudging Zone with his foot.

"Good." Rinoa said. The other cars had arrived. Gale ran towards Seaton and hugged him tightly.

"I have your sword." She said, handing it to him.

"Thanks," Seaton said, surprised but grateful. "I had no idea where you where."

"I was with Rinoa the whole time. I was with her when the evacuation was called, so I had to follow her."

Seaton looked disgruntled. "You're not getting too close to her, are you? I mean, she is the sorceress."

"I thought you liked it better here." Gale said, bewildered.

"It's better than Ellone, but it's still the sorceress, and you're forgetting that. Stick with Zone and Watts, at least they're still normal humans." Seaton said quietly, but his eyes were firm.

"But…" Gale couldn't finish her sentence because Rinoa was approaching them.

"You two should get into the cars," Rinoa said. "We're going to wait this storm out before pitching the tents and deciding what to do. There's no point trying anything now."

Gale dutifully followed Seaton into Rajin's car, where he dug up a blanket from under the seat and tucked it around her. She allowed him to do it sullenly, because she still felt sour about what he had said about Rinoa. She would stay with Rinoa because she had to. Gale had no other choice.

> > >

Irvine woke up, feeling oddly refreshed and calm. He reckoned it was being away from Deling, without its political worries and constantly having to watch over Rinoa. He stretched in his bed languidly before getting up for a glass of water. As he took a sip, he heard a dull thud outside his door, so he went to open it. Irvine found the newspaper at his feet, so he picked it up and spread it out on his table.

He choked on his water at the sight of the headlines. DELING DESTROYED, it screamed at him. Irvine felt faint for a moment as he stared at the pictures. Deling's once proud walls were in ruins, the entire city was littered with rubble. The worst part of the picture was the monsters it captured prowling around the remains of the city, because they just weren't normal. Their eyes seemed to glow even though the picture was black and white.

Rinoa, he thought frantically. He ripped through the paper in a frenzy to get to the article, and skimmed it quickly before letting out his breath in a hiss. They had gotten out. The city had been evacuated.

Irvine now had to decide whether to rush back to Galbadia or stay in Esthar to finish his mission. He fell into a chair and groaned. He already knew the answer. Rinoa would tell him to stay in Esthar, because she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. He could picture her saying it to him in his mind.

The only problem now was that he wasn't in the proper mindset to do any sniper work. He couldn't kill Dr. Odine when he was worrying about Rinoa. He groaned again, loudly, because he knew he had to do it if he wanted to get back to Galbadia. Irvine regretted suggesting the mission for himself. Lately, things had calmed down a little, and there was no need to kill anyway. It wasn't his favourite thing to do, but he had to do it today.

He got up from his chair and dressed himself. While he was doing this, he was carefully studying a map on the area by Doctor Odine's laboratory. He would have to find his way up the store opposite the lab and set up there for a clear shot. Finished with the map, Irvine picked up a round of ammo and dropped it into his pocket before leaving his room and locking the door behind.

It didn't take him long to arrive and find a fire staircase up to the roof. He did feel oddly conspicuous carrying his gun around; it looked like the residents of Esthar felt safe enough not to. He spotted an open window at the back of the building where he would get a clear shot, and promptly got into position. He was lucky the window faced east. Now he just had to wait for Odine.

Irvine's breathing quickened with his nerves. A sniping job had always done this to him. He shook his head violently to clear it and forced himself to slow his breathing. "I can't miss." He said firmly to himself.

His hands were trembling despite his confident words. He heard some commotion and some doors slamming at the front. Irvine was sorely tempted to charge through the back door and kill Odine the normal way, where at least he could fight back. Sniping felt a little low, but Rinoa could not be implicated in this assassination. Irvine reminded his disobedient hands that Rinoa was the reason he was doing this in the first place. Trickles of rumors and leaked back to him that Odine was working on something that was meant to take sorceresses out once and for all, and he didn't want to think about what this may be.

Irvine's nervous tension was immediately soothed by that. He wasn't doing this for nothing. He spotted some movement in the window. He observed the scene for a moment and saw a flash of a white coat. That must have been Odine.

He took a deep breath and aimed, making sure no one else was in the line of fire. Irvine placed his finger on the trigger, and began to squeeze it.

> > >

Selphie was tired, but she didn't want to admit this to Laguna. After the awkward moment, things seemed to go back to normal, but there remained an undercurrent of unspoken tension. The arrived in Esthar just after dawn and she had never seen Laguna so excited.

"I must stop at the presidential palace." Laguna said. Selphie could see he was restraining himself from rolling down the window and gleefully waving at his citizens. "I don't want to think about the paperwork that's building up there."

"Dr Odine's lab first," she reminded him. "Anyway, it's on the way. We're supposed to pick up some restraint thing for Ellone."

"Yeah, of course." Laguna said, distracted as he peered out the window.

Selphie couldn't quite feel irritated with him, not when he had this childish look of ecstasy on his face. She was surprised to see only one lab assistant, a tall man with thick glasses wearing a white lab coat waiting to greet them as she pulled in. In the old days, there would have been at least half a dozen. She couldn't help but smirking just a little.

"Hello," the assistant said as they slammed the car doors shut, glad to be out. "You must be Selphie, and of course, President Laguna. I'm Ansel, Doc Odine's lab assistant. He's inside, waiting to show you the restraints and how they work."

They followed him inside while he continued talking. "Ellone was quite impatient for these restraints, so Doc Odine had me working day and night on them. I don't think I've gotten a decent sleep in weeks. You'd think he'd help me out, but he keeps babbling on about the lunar cry these days." He looked at Laguna. "He's probably going to rant about the strength of Esthar's barrier and monsters."

Selphie was surprised. "I didn't see any on the way in, actually. It was pretty clear."

Laguna frowned. "You know, he may have a point. The barrier was only set up to hide Esthar. I don't think it's ever been used as a shield. Well, I'll need to speak with him about that, because Odine is pretty much right about the lunar cry."

Ansel's eyes widened. "It's true then? I thought he was losing his mind, he's been so frenzied these days."

"It's true." Selphie said grimly. "Too true."

They saw Odine waiting for them in large workspace at the back of his building. There were a set of delicate looking bracelets on the table. "Finally, you are here!" Odine cried gleefully, fixing his eyes on Laguna. "First, ze new and improved Odine's bracelet, renamed Odine's sorceress bonds!" Odine picked the bracelets up, where they shimmered in the light. "More powerful than the bracelet, and ze sorceresses does not even have to vear it for zem to take effect! If they are close to her, she vill feel ill. If they are on her, they vill slowly suck out ze sorceress powers, and then all her energy!" He grinned. "But it is perfectly safe for us normal people. And of course, Ansel is making zem look pretty so she vill vant to have them."

"That's…good." Laguna said, looking unsure. Selphie nudged him warningly.

"And now, to ze matter of ze lunar cry." Odine stepped across the window towards Laguna. "It is very important of ze safety of Esthar. We must put all ze energy ti ze barrier, or we will be like Deling, vich vas destroyed just last night by ze new breed of monsters zat cannot be controlled. So, Odine has a plan ready for ze President. Ve must –" He was just turning around to place the sorceress bonds back on the table when there was a loud and bang that cut him off.

Selphie first assumed a car had backfired outside the window. Odine looked confused, and then crumpled slowly to the floor. She briefly wondered if the shock of it had given him a heart attack when her brain registered the blood. Ansel flew to Odine's side, and whimpered when he saw the bullet wound through his chest. With hands bloodied by Odine, Ansel quickly went to check his pulse.

Laguna and Selphie immediately checked outside the window, but the sun was in their eyes. Whoever got Odine was lucky. Selphie thought she saw a flash of a familiar coat, but she couldn't be sure. The smell of blood was beginning to overpower her, and she was beginning to feel sick.

"No pulse," Ansel moaned from the floor. "Odine is dead. Hyne, Odine is dead!"

"I'll call the medics." Laguna said, heading towards the phone. He looked a little green, like he felt sick too.

Not wanting to be left with the body and blood, Selphie followed him. "Who would have reason to kill him?" She asked numbly. She had fought and witnessed deaths before, but this seemed far more violent and worse than any other mission or battle. Odine was a civilian, not a soldier trained to fight.

Laguna looked at her incredulously. "I think the shock is affecting your brain, my dear. Think about it. He was researching ways to bring down Rinoa."

The world reeled around her. "Fuck." She whispered. "They have only one decent sharpshooter." Selphie had to shut her eyes for a second, and only opened them after she felt Laguna's arm twine around her waist for support. "Irvine. Oh hyne. It's Irvine. He was here. Irvine. Fuck, why Irvine?" She staggered to a wastebasket and vomited, Laguna by her side the whole time with his comforting arm. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth and tried to get around his name. But it kept chanting to her, Irvine, Irvine, Irvine, it was him, it was Irvine. Irvine.

She could have forgiven him at the end of this war, for deserting her for Rinoa. But not for this, not for killing an innocent civilian. Rage suddenly blazed through Selphie, and she looked up at Laguna. "I'm going after him." She said, almost calmly.

Laguna understood. "I'll stay here and help Ansel. I'll meet you at the presidential palace later."

Unexpectedly, Selphie threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thanks." She dashed out of the room and to the car, where she grabbed her nunchakus. She circled around the compound to the back of the building, where she caught Irvine hopping off the fire ladder. For a moment, she was unsure whether or not she wanted to confront him. It was almost seven years now since she last saw him in person.

He saw her and had a stricken look on his face. Selphie stared at him for a moment, her heart pounding from fury and fright. He looked the same, except that his hat was a little more worn. He looked exactly the same. Irvine had a resigned look on his face, almost apologetic.

Selphie didn't know what to do.

> > >

To be continued…

A/N: Well, school has started, and as I have predicted, it's been crazy hectic. This chapter, unfortunately, is not the super long one I promised Sunday1. In fact, it could have been, but I just didn't like the way it flowed. So now, I'm going to increase each chapter length but a page or two, and hopefully that will satisfy everyone without killing my flow. Next chapter up in about a week, and for some reason, I really liked this chapter much more than any of the others. Drop me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!

PS: This chapter is now a repost (one day after it was originally posted, hee hee). I caught a mistake that bugged me so much I had to take it down and put it back up again. In Irvine's scene, he said he had to get back to Esthar, but heck, he is in Esthar! It's now been switched more appropriately to Galbadia.


End file.
